How #EuroMaidan and War with Russia Have Changed Ukraine’s Internet · Global Voices
Kyiv, Ukraine. 6th December 2014 — The battalion came to honor the memory of those killed during clashes with police. On the pavement the form of the oil lamps is the Emblem of Ukraine. — Kyiv residents welcomed the 12th Territorial Defense Battalion “Kiev”, who returned on rotation from the zone of the fighting with the pro-Russian separatist operations in the Donbas. Soldiers and residents paid respect to those who lost their lives. Photo by <PERSON>, © Demotix 2014.
Although many European countries had a rough ride in 2014, no country in Europe can claim to have had a more challenging year than Ukraine. What began as a series of peaceful protests against a government decision that displeased many Ukrainians turned into an international armed conflict with Russia, formerly Ukraine's closest ally, that continues to affect Europe and the rest of the world.
Images and posts found on the Internet about Ukraine and the Crimean conflict have left millions around the world in awe. Global Voices takes a look at how the year-long conflict has changed Internet use in Ukraine.
1. #EuroMaidan
#EuroMaidan (“European Square”) was a popular uprising of citizens against the <PERSON> regime. It became the central event of 2013 in Ukraine both online and offline, lasting well into 2014. Beginning as a series of peaceful pro-European protests against the federal government’s sudden decision to turn away from an Association Agreement with the European Union and turn, instead, toward Russia, EuroMaidan gradually escalated into a full-fledged public uprising that ended with the tragic shooting of protesters in Kyiv, the subsequent flight of <PERSON>, snap presidential and parliamentary elections, and a complete reorientation of Ukraine’s geopolitcal course towards the West.
While the role of social media in Ukraine’s EuroMaidan revolution should not be overestimated, Internet-based technology and social networks undeniably had a large impact. The intial protests were sparked in large part by a Facebook post by a well-known journalist. In EuroMaidan’s early stages, protesters used Facebook to organize and Twitter and YouTube to communicate among themselves, and with the outside world. As a mass movement that's still underway, EuroMaidan has a potent online dimension with activists sharing information, discussing reforms, and still organizing to exert pressure on Ukraine’s new government.
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23rd December 2014 — The Parliament in Kyiv was the scene as activists rallied to voice their demands for the MPs new budget for 2015. Protesters came out against the reduction of social spending, the privatization of state property, and perceived banking tyranny. Photo by <PERSON>, © Demotix 2014.
2. Live-streaming the revolution
Live video streaming over the Internet became a key instrument for witnessing remotely Ukraine’s 2013-2014 EuroMaidan protests. The practice grew from sporadic single-user generated live streams in late 2013 to dozens of online channels providing 24/7 live coverage of events at the main protest sites in Kyiv.
After the <PERSON> regime collapsed in late February 2014, Ukrainians continued live-streaming key meetings of activists, as well as other public discussions about the future of Ukraine.
Today, the independent and largely crowdfunded “online television” project Hromadske.TV, popularized by its relentless coverage of EuroMaidan, has firmly established itself as one of Ukraine's premier media outlets. The country's primary state-owned national TV channel has since carried Hromadske.TV more than once.
3. A new government on Facebook
By the spring of 2014, in the aftermath of the violence that took place before <PERSON>'s fall, Ukrainians’ trust in public institutions—particularly the police—had plummeted dramatically. In this environment, Facebook became one of the key platforms for discussing ongoing political events in Ukraine. Indeed, several key figures of the interim government took to the website to communicate directly with the public.
Most notably, Ukraine’s new Minister of Interior, <PERSON>, has famously posted daily reports about his activities on Facebook. In the uneasy period following Russia's annexation of Crimea and the ongoing fighting in the Donbas, where Russia-backed militants battle Ukrainian troops, <PERSON>'s regular blog posts have enjoyed some success, satisfying the public's demand for greater transparency. (Some commenters, of course, do wonder if a government minister should spend so much time on the Internet.)
Kyiv, Ukraine. 2nd December 2014 — Ukraine, Kyiv. 02/12/2014 Parliament deputies attending the 8th convocation, to announce a new government. — After the opening session, speaker <PERSON> adjourned for consultations. Parliament proceeded with approving a new government. 534