Kyiv has seen intense fighting since January 19, when antigovernment protesters and police clashed on Hrushevskyy street, 1.5 kilometers from the main hub of the “Euromaidan” opposition protests on Independence Square.
But between battles with police and the occupation of buildings, the near-apocalyptic scenes have created a ready-made platform for artistic -- or social -- creativity.
Music
Ukraine is the birthplace of a host of well-known composers, including Mykola Leontovych, who was once nicknamed the "Ukrainian Bach." Fittingly, pianos, along with some fledgling virtuosos, have appeared in some unexpected places.
In the video below, a protester plays a rendition of "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian pianist. The performance was apparently filmed outside the Kyiv regional administration building and is titled "An extremist seizes a piano at 'Euromaidan.'" (Government officials have accused some protesters of extremism.)
Overnight between January 26 and 27, protesters seized Kyiv's Ukrainian House after noticing that security forces had assembled inside. Soon after, a demonstrator performed French composer Yann Tiersen's "Atlantique Nord" for assembled guests in the convention center's concert hall:
In this eerie scene recorded by Sky News producer Yulia Bragina on January 23, a lone saxophonist toots his horn as dusk settles in on the smoldering rubble of Hrushevskyy street:
Wedding Snaps
Wedding parties tend to seek shots around town that will provide memories that last a lifetime (or at least the length of a marriage). One couple saw the barricades as the perfect spot for such a shot.
Newlyweds who identified themselves to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service as Marina and Andriy said they chose to come to Independence Square straight after their nuptials to show support for the protesters.
Battle Landscapes
No battle is complete without first being immortalized on canvas. In the photo below, an artist paints the scene of destruction outside Dynamo stadium on Hrushevskyy street:
Battle Anthems
Along the barricades of Hrushevskyy street, protesters bang on metal to rally cold demonstrators for battle, creating an almost constant din:
Ukraine's riot police, the Berkut, have responded with their own battle hymn:
But between battles with police and the occupation of buildings, the near-apocalyptic scenes have created a ready-made platform for artistic -- or social -- creativity.
Music
Ukraine is the birthplace of a host of well-known composers, including Mykola Leontovych, who was once nicknamed the "Ukrainian Bach." Fittingly, pianos, along with some fledgling virtuosos, have appeared in some unexpected places.
In the video below, a protester plays a rendition of "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian pianist. The performance was apparently filmed outside the Kyiv regional administration building and is titled "An extremist seizes a piano at 'Euromaidan.'" (Government officials have accused some protesters of extremism.)
Overnight between January 26 and 27, protesters seized Kyiv's Ukrainian House after noticing that security forces had assembled inside. Soon after, a demonstrator performed French composer Yann Tiersen's "Atlantique Nord" for assembled guests in the convention center's concert hall:
In this eerie scene recorded by Sky News producer Yulia Bragina on January 23, a lone saxophonist toots his horn as dusk settles in on the smoldering rubble of Hrushevskyy street:
Wedding Snaps
Wedding parties tend to seek shots around town that will provide memories that last a lifetime (or at least the length of a marriage). One couple saw the barricades as the perfect spot for such a shot.
Newlyweds who identified themselves to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service as Marina and Andriy said they chose to come to Independence Square straight after their nuptials to show support for the protesters.
Свадьба на баррикадах. Фото: Nikolay Homich #euromaidan #евромайдан #киев pic.twitter.com/2vUMFFcvBy
— Голос Столицы 106FM (@Golos106fm) January 26, 2014
Battle Landscapes
No battle is complete without first being immortalized on canvas. In the photo below, an artist paints the scene of destruction outside Dynamo stadium on Hrushevskyy street:
#Kiev- Etonnant : un "peintre des batailles" immortalise le champ de l'affrontement. #euromaidan pic.twitter.com/CEgRceF1Fr
— christian delporte (@chdelporte) January 25, 2014
Battle Anthems
Along the barricades of Hrushevskyy street, protesters bang on metal to rally cold demonstrators for battle, creating an almost constant din:
Ukraine's riot police, the Berkut, have responded with their own battle hymn:
