It’s hard to believe what has happened in just a few days – as many as 80 Ukrainian citizens were killed and hundreds injured in the streets of Kyiv within the past week. It was terrifying and horrifying. But the revolution was quick, and not nearly as bloody as it could have been. The now-deposed president Viktor Yanukovich fled the capital, and is believed to have tried to flee the country. Parliament voted with an overwhelming majority on Saturday to remove him from power, and acted swiftly to restore order and the rule of law. There are still many issues to be dealt with, but the main objective of the Maidan, the people’s protests, have been fulfilled – the terribly corrupt Yanukovich and his cronies are gone.
The stunningly opulent estate that Yanukovich made his own, property he stole from the state in one of his many shady arrangements, was opened to the public on Saturday. This article shows just the beginning of what has been found there. If you want to see more photos and videos, just search for “Mezhyhirya” – new reports are being added almost hourly, it seems. As the article states, if you want to know what Ukrainians have been fighting for, the pictures of this estate should explain a lot.
We celebrate the victory of Maidan, and we mourn the martyrs of Maidan. I am in awe of the Ukrainian people, who finally and truly held their government responsible – and insisted on what we in the United States insisted on 238 years ago – a government of the people, by the people, and most importantly, FOR the people.
There is a long road ahead to healing and reconciliation, and to building a free, democratic nation, but Ukraine is on that road now.
Thank you to everyone who has thought about us, written to us, worried about us. I am thrilled to have a front seat to the history being made right now, and let us hope that the suffering and loss of life were not in vain.
Slava Ukraini! Glory to Ukraine!
Anka in Kyiv 