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Graffiti was scrawled on the street walls leading to other, quieter, Kiev squares. RIGHT SECTOR. National Revolution.

I became lost in the Tsarist alleys. I was followed by wild dogs. Russian tanks would rip up these cobblestones. The militia would fight house to house. Now in the hard dawn light everything is clearer than it really is.

Between the pie crust architecture I breathed in the cold morning air. We are at peace. They are not coming. I began to laugh a little: we are still at peace.

That night was the last time I walked on Maidan. Through the drizzle and the orange night glow.

Kiev shuddered. Crimea was being amputated. Russian tricolours were raised in Yalta. Hysterical crowds swallowed Sevastopol. The fake referendum was complete: Anschluss.

And on Maidan, the lights were going out. Annexation was certain now. The rain turned to flakes of snow. The flowers were dead.

Blueish faces from the provisional government shimmered across the mega-screen. But nobody was really there. Three staggering drunks, mouths open, stared at the trembling prime minister's face.

Abroad, there was talk of resolve: but nobody said — from Washington to Berlin — they shall not pass. Kiev whimpered like a beaten child.

Maidan was almost over. The lights went out on the stage. Militiamen were packing their bags. The call-up order had gone out.

There was a little song coming from the tents. Behind the crackling oil-can a woman with braided hair sang soft lullabies to her camouflaged lover: tomorrow he left, she feared, for war.

 


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Snapshot of a beleaguered city: Ben Judah's pictures from Kiev
 
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hegel`s advocate
May 7th, 2014
6:05 PM
According to Femen Putin is an evil dwarf . Alex from Russia is probably one also. Putin looks and sounds stupid on world tv. He`s dead on the world stage already.

Alex From Russia
May 6th, 2014
1:05 PM
Whether Ukrainians read this article? I think to the author you shouldn't come to Kiev more. But, I admit, reading article, even I felt pride of Russia - Europe is afraid Russia... And council to the author: consult to the psychiatrist - can it is worth replacing drugs?

hegel`s advocate
April 11th, 2014
4:04 PM
Danvolodar asks a good question: Who the hell are/were these people? Who are the comments here from too ? Dadaist anti-poets? The people of Uruguay have voted into existence a modestly successful civilised society and green economy. In Russia and the Middle East the public is a failure. It`s leaders total liars peddling total false consciousness and stupidity. London is now `Londonistan`,`Moscow-on-Thames` and `Dubai-on-Thames`. Capital cities should be more like democratic Montevideo. It`s what consciousness and evolution is for. Practical utopia not dystopia.

Rashid
April 10th, 2014
6:04 AM
Hahaha.... Author, what did you smoke? I guess it should be good shit.

Anonymous
April 9th, 2014
2:04 PM
Do you know that Tyahnybok said: "Every person, which use russian in communication should be put into prison"?

Sergey
April 9th, 2014
11:04 AM
It's a complete lie. It is not so. Cheap political propaganda.

Anonymous
April 9th, 2014
8:04 AM
author ill

Helen
April 9th, 2014
7:04 AM
Very one-sided biased view. It is the view of Kievan intelligentsia. Where is the view of Crimeans? Where is the view of militiamen who were beaten and burnt by militants and had to protect themselves with bare hands? Where is the view of inhabitants of soth-east parts of Ukraine? Kievan intelligentsia names them "cattle", "creatures" and calls for massive ethnic cleanses. Have the Easteners got the right to protect themselves and call for help from Russia? Bandera followers atrociously murdered hundreds of thousands of Ukranians, Russians, Byelorussians in the last century. And now Bandera is the cult figure of Kievans. Who is the fascist here? Don't believe lies. Tyahnybok has a pub landlord's face? It's the face of a butcher. And Europe as always encourages a new fuhrer. And it isn't Putin.

Alecsey
April 9th, 2014
7:04 AM
Nazis, pacifists, democrats, communists... it's just a policy, Russia could not permit to Crimea was the base of NATO, would you like to have near was base of the Russian army? Russia does not want a poor Ukraine. What for? And don't worry, Ukraine will continue to be the country of cheap prostitutes... for you

Sun
April 9th, 2014
5:04 AM
Very funny. So many lies in one article.

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