Revolution contra "Euromaidan"

Revolt against the modern world. Dedicated to the first anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity

Ukrainian nationalists, having played a key role in the overthrow of the regime of Yanukovych lost the battle to determining the content of the protest movement. Roughly speaking, the nationalists had lost the battle for the name. From the beginning of Maidan its "DJs *" tried to direct the protests only in the mainstream of support for European integration policy. Mostly they succeeded. On the "apolitical Maidan" which was managed by Ruslana, even the slogan "gang away!" was considered as provocation. Only after the dissolution of the Maidan on the night of November 30, "DJs" a la Ruslana have failed to limit the discourse of protest in rhetoric of exclusively European integration, because in the first place was hatred for the current government led by Yanukovych. However, the markers have been placed, and over time of the protest movement was destined to be in the force field of "Euromaidan" concept, but the real revolutionaries - wear the label of "provocateurs".


Nationalists - first "Tryzub of Stepan Bandera" and then "Right Sector" - throughout the Maidan propagated the idea of the National Revolution (ie, do the same as the previous years). Gradually the idea began to find support for the demonstrators. However - in the reduced form. Protest masses are clearly began to demand the resignation of not only government but also Yanukovych. Idea of ban the Party of Regions and the Communist Party was spreading among the protesters. Increased anti-oligarchic sentiments. Slogan of "complete reset of government" are partially reflecting concept of "national revolution". However it did not disclose the full contents of the National Revolution.

Speaking at one of the leftist rallies, the Slovenian philosopher freud-marxist Slavoj Žižek said quite deep joke: One guy forced to leave East Germany to go to work in Siberia. Given the fact that his letter will be viewable by Soviet censors, he tells his friends: "Let's agree on a secret code. If the letter is written in blue - it means that I write the truth if red - a lie". After a while his friends get a message: "Here everything is fine ... The only thing I cannot buy - it is red inks". Zizek sums up the moral of the fable-anecdote: "This anecdote - about us ... We have all the freedoms that we want. We just do not have the red inks - the language that is able to convey our lack of freedom". Ukrainians throughout the period of neo-colonial "independence" were fed by demo-liberal rhetoric, so it is no surprise that during the Maidan they had no language, by which they would be able to understand the meaning of nationalistic appeals.

To gain a Ukrainian state or die fighting for it

During November 2013 - February 2014 there is competed with each other three major discourses of protest: "idealistic" vision of the National Revolution from the nationalist, concept  of "Euromaidan" and spontaneous discourse of anti-regime protests, which included elements of the first and second discourses. On the one hand, brand of "Euromaidan" was opposed to nationalist vision of the revolution. On the other hand, an enraged to the authorities, society increasingly losing confidence in the "Euromaidan`s leaders", but still cannot not take all the fullness of nationalist ideas. Unfortunately, the last fact has forced the nationalists to some extent simplify their discourse (as has happened in history, particularly when during the Second World War, the OUN had to raise under their flag a huge numbers of people in Western Ukraine, as well as expand its activities on the territory of the Dnieper).

Discourses that mentioned in the previous paragraph correspond to the three forces, presented on Maidan - nationalists (especially "Right Sector"), opposition and Usual protesters. The whole evolution of the protest consisted in release of discourse of the last from influence of the opposition and "DJs" and its movement toward the nationalist discourse.

Suggested by Oleg Tyahnybok concept of "Revolution of Dignity" can be viewed in two ways. On the one hand, the term reflects the objective changes in social consciousness. On the other hand, the concept of "Revolution of Dignity" still has no clear ideological and programmatic content. From this perspective, the call for "Revolution dignity" (not the National Revolution) was just a cast the water on "Euromaidan" mill - simulations of revolutionary struggle that was so vital to the nation.

The country will continue to exist as long as people would be willing to fight for it

In a rather global perspective "Euromaidan" was a protective tool of the ruling system - criminal-oligarchic regime of internal occupation. In many cases, activity of opposition was objectively aimed at preserving the Yanukovych regime. But more important for us is the fact that the opposition itself was part of the internal regime of occupation. Both in terms of American political reality of confrontation between Democrats and Republicans is a mechanism for stable functioning of demo-liberal system, the same in Ukraine, "power" and "opposition" - a merely theatrical roles, elements of performance, behind the scenes of which lies  the real, neo-colonial, entity political life.

Fight against Yanukovych regime - a superficial level of Maidan. Essential dimension of the struggle was in opposition to the regime of internal occupation and nationalist vision of the future of Ukraine, and revolution is the way to do that. Therefore, the Maidan was the scene of confrontation between "Euromaidan" and the real revolutionary forces and ideas. Unfortunately, "Euromaidan" has won. However, looking at the recent past, we can not only learn from own mistakes, but also to see some positive aspects that make it able to play its role in the future.

No to discoteque, Yes to Revolution

* Supporters of nationalist revolution called a rally near the scene of the Euromaidan (with dances and music) - a Discotheque, and those who ruled this process from the stage (Poroshenko, Yatsenyuk, etc.) - a DJ's.

by Igor Zagrebelny