When the Maidan began gathering in December 2013, no one could predict where it was going or what would happen. But, it is entirely correct to say that volunteers made a lasting contribution and helped the Revolution of Dignity come true. The Maidan would still have gathered people together, but it is unlikely it could have survived without the support of a widespread volunteer movement. Kyiv residents and Ukrainians from across the country provided a unique example of self-organization and self-sufficiency in order to achieve their goal – to change Ukraine.
Protective vests for the Maidan protesters
After Berkut units viciously attacked and beat the protesters, the Maidan began to manufacture various means of self-defence. On the Maidan you could see people in motorcycle and ski helmets, military helmets, and other incredibly inventive life hacks. Activists would wrap their bodies and limbs in thick glossy magazines, which softened the blows of police batons. They carried self-made wooden or metal shields, wore sports knee pads on their legs and arms. There were also many original creations, even people dressed in medieval armour.
“At one of these private “enterprises”, steel plates of the appropriate size were cut with a laser. The plates were primarily intended to protect the chest and back, but the workers also produced so-called “heavy” armoured vests, which had special pads on the shoulders, the abdomen and groin. They were fastened with straps to the base, which was made from sleeping mats. All the parts were then delivered to a place where volunteers assembled them together.”-Borys explains that he and his friends worked in the basement of the Palace of the Arts.
“There were at least ten of us. The metal plates were brought to the Palace, other elements were arranged in piles. The belts came in long rolls, which we cut to appropriate lengths and then, we assembled all the parts together.”-I believe we’re all familiar with the photo that shows 12-year-old Roman Saveliev from Yahotyn, Kyiv Oblast. Journalists called him the “Child of the Maidan” or the “Ukrainian Gavroche”. It was in such a homemade protective vest, made in Lviv, that Roman fought on the front line of the Maidan.
Manufactured and assembled by volunteers
Andriy Saliuk explains that in January such protective gear was manufactured and assembled by four groups of volunteers in several different places of the city. They also made sure that the entire process – from design to delivery – was strictly confidential so that as few people as possible knew who was making what and where. -I coordinated the activities of these groups, ordered the material and kept in touch with the manufacturers. In February, it became clear that we needed more than four groups. -We collected funds for the metal. Then, the specialists cut them into plates and brought them back to us here. Our female volunteers sat in two different rooms, assembling and sewing them together. In total, we made almost 2,500 homemade vests. -According to the documents that we’ve kept at the Maidan Relief headquarters, I estimate that about 2,100 vests were delivered to Kyiv. Others went to local Maidan headquarters in Odesa, Dnipro and Luhansk. We also manufactured batons and leg shields. -In February, when tension on the Kyiv Maidan rose and violence escalated everywhere, a lot of volunteers set out from Lviv to Kyiv. We tried to outfit every man and woman who was heading for Kyiv. We didn’t want to let them leave without any protection.
The Revolution of Dignity changed the face of Ukraine, whereas the volunteer movement played a huge role during those crucial months and continues to be an important factor in civic society.
Ukrainian volunteer organizations have often taken over in the face of government inefficiency or failure. One of the most lasting and influential results of the Maidan movement and the subsequent Russo-Ukrainian war is certainly the rise of civic activism in Ukraine.
