Winter on Fire Page #5

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a great number of people,

would become a turning point,

and we would finally be heard.

Waiting for us there were the police,

Berkut, and Titushky.

Remember when you were children,

you were taught to love Ukraine.

Remember what your

first teachers told you.

I didn't know how all this would end.

They just started killing us.

Titushky that were in Mariyinsky Park

on February 18th

were different than they were before.

They were well trained

and organized.

It was a well-planned action.

Titushky were allowed to do

things that the policemen weren't.

Come on, finish him!

They behaved like animals.

When we saw black clouds of smoke

rise over Hrushevskogo Street,

and we realized tires were

burning on Instytutska Street,

we went there.

At the intersection of

Instytutska and Shelkovichna Street,

Berkut shot at people from rooftops.

They swore an oath

to serve the Ukrainian nation

but they wound up serving others.

Very bad people.

They got used to living a vile and

nasty life and so they do vile things.

They were rotten.

Berkut were throwing bricks at us.

They had no mercy.

Neither did we.

It wasn't like a fictional show

we watch on TV.

It was a shocking reality we faced.

Call the ambulance!

Hold his legs!

Call the ambulance, quick!

Since Berkut had guns and grenades,

and we challenged them

without firearms,

we had to retreat back to Maidan.

They occupied top positions,

the October Palace and the footbridge.

They had perfect firing positions.

Knowing military tactics,

I realized that we were trapped.

You are fighting against

your own brothers and sisters!

In that critical moment on Maidan,

behind the people forming a barricade,

people were on their knees

praying with rosary beads.

These are your people!

Don't follow these unlawful orders!

Berkut started throwing

Molotov cocktails at us from over there.

Our side didn't lose courage

and began throwing tires into the fire

to make them choke from the smoke.

The wind and a higher power

were on our side,

and the smoke was

stifling them on the top.

We have to stop them with fire!

The fire is our shield!

Many people were scared.

But we still stood there.

Nobody ran away.

I was shooting at them

with my slingshot.

I hit a few of them.

It was a dramatic and difficult night.

People didn't talk.

They just were looking

into each other's eyes,

into each other's soul.

I have never seen such courage.

I was watching people and wondering,

"When will they run?"

And I'd understand, if they did.

But they didn't.

They were fighting...

They were fighting to the death.

It might sound overstated, but at that

moment it looked exactly like that.

People were fighting to the death.

They were fighting for Ukraine.

We were inside the Trade Union House

when it all started.

They came from the top.

The Trade Union House

was also used as a hospital,

and there were lots of wounded.

Today, as of now

there are about 20 dead

and there are about 400 wounded.

It's mass murder.

The police and Berkut came and

started throwing flash grenades.

They did everything

to burn this building down,

because it was

the headquarters of the revolution.

When the fire started,

the biggest problem was

getting people out,

especially those

who weren't able to walk.

Hold on!

Many people died in this building.

Stop this action of killing people!

Go back to your kids,

go back to your wives,

go back to your families!

During this time in February,

Mykhaylivskyi Monastery once again

became a sanctuary for people.

At Mykhaylivskyi

we organized a hospital,

and again, a kitchen and

warm clothes drop-off.

I saw medical workers

from all over Ukraine,

from Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsya...

They were on duty 24/7

delivering medical care.

They brought everything

they could and did their best.

At first, only people from Kyiv

brought medicines and food,

then cars started arriving from Rivne,

Cherkassy and other cities.

Take that box.

There's Pantenol and painkillers.

And in the backyard...

a morgue.

The information about

30 dead is almost confirmed.

Unfortunately, we don't know

anything about victims

taken away by the Berkut

from Mariyinsky Park.

The tires were burning.

People were gathering

but nobody took any decisive actions.

I got expelled, but I came back

from another barricade and stayed.

They thought I was

too young to be there.

Some Berkut started to walk

on the burned ground.

People started throwing bricks at them,

when suddenly we heard

a burst of machine gun fire.

It confused all of us.

People thought that the Berkut

started shooting protesters,

while the Internal Forces thought that

the protesters were armed and shooting.

So they started to retreat.

The Berkut stayed and opened fire.

Take him to the medics!

Doctor!

Come on, let's carry him.

When people were climbing up that hill,

they realized that taking back this

territory would result in many casualties.

The shooting started over there.

There were concrete blocks

that Berkut used

as a shield and to shoot from.

He's injured, get him out of here!

Cover him!

Hold on!

Guys! Help!

They were shooting

and killing our people...

but we knew we couldn't retreat.

We had to bring it all to an end.

You can see the bullet holes left here.

You don't need to be a genius

to understand where the shots came from.

We are not afraid to die for freedom.

Freedom is for us.

Freedom is ours.

We will win,

and Ukraine will be part of Europe,

and Ukraine will be

part of the free world!

And we'll never be slaves.

We will be free.

A friend of mine died here,

Vitya Chmilenko.

He ran up Instytutska Street

with a stretcher to bring out the wounded.

He bent toward a wounded man

and then he got shot.

I have no words...

What kind of mother raised a man

to purposely target a person

just trying to help

his wounded friend?

They were even shooting priests.

These killers hold nothing sacred.

They can just as easily kill a holy man

the same as everyone else

they killed on Maidan.

The sniper attack

showed such depravity.

It was...

pure hatred...

of your own brothers.

We have to bring out and

carry some wounded, at least two!

They were going with these

wooden shields under the bullets

and didn't realize

that it was heroism.

I tried to persuade them

not to do this,

because they might be killed.

They answered,

"We came here to die."

They were driven

to make this country better,

so they were willing

to go under the bullets,

understanding they might die,

and not come back.

I'm on the front line

at Instytutska Street.

I can't hear you.

Say something to Mom.

Hi, I just woke up.

In short, Moysey Vasyl Mykhailovych.

Moysey Vasyl Mykhailovych.

Tell her that you love her.

Mom, I want to tell you something...

Mom, I want you to know...

Mom...

I love you.

You know what was

the most difficult thing?

To decide to admit

that a person is dead.

There are things that

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