Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

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The documentary Winter on Fire brings you the story of Ukraine’s fight for freedom from the frontlines of the 2014 uprising. In just 93 days, what started as peaceful student demonstrations became a violent revolution.

Winter on Fire provides an interesting in-depth look at the Ukrainian uprising in Kiev’s Maidan Square for 93 days in late 2013 and early 2014. The revolt against corrupted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych started as a peaceful civil demonstration supporting an association agreement with the European Union, ultimately turning into a violent revolution. How did it happen?

In early 2013, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych announced his intention to sign an economic agreement with the EU that would strengthen and further Ukraine’s integration, stressing its independence from Russia at the same time. Nevertheless, by November 2013, he radically changed his mind suspending preparations to sign the agreement. Instead, he approved a treaty and a multibillion-dollar loan with Russia. Many of the pro-European Ukrainians felt betrayed by their government and most importantly by the head of the State. As a result about 2,000 Euro-inclined Ukrainians gather on Maidan Square to protest, alerted by Facebook posts. While claiming “Ukraine is part of Europe” and “We need European education, we want to break the wall”, their numbers kept on growing day by day, all asking the same thing: Yanukovych’s to change the course or to resign.

Flooding the streets with a series of peaceful demonstrations, the protestors were severely repressed by the government’s extreme police force, Berkut, that actually provoked the use of force. Demands and basic freedoms of thousands of Ukrainians were roughly suppressed.

The movie shows the variety of people who got entangle in this conflict, including students, professionals and even clergy. Literally, Ukrainians from all around the country gather in sincerity and dedication to their common cause. Seeing so many people risking their lives in defence of freedom, cannot be more meaningful and inspiring.

Eventually, 125 people died, further hundreds got injured to expel Yanukovych from the country. The Maidan uprising didn’t come to an end with a peaceful reunification of the country, but led to a civil war and drastic Russian interventions.