Timeline of the Orange Revolution

Below is the timeline of events that followed the runoff presidential election held in Ukraine on 21 November 2004 that sparked off the " Orange Revolution".

21 November

Shortly after the polling stations closed in the evening, several exit polls were released showing a substantial lead for Viktor Yushchenko. The first poll, conducted by several Ukrainian research organisations, gave Yuchshenko 54% of the vote, against Viktor Yanukovych's 43%. The results were based on the answers of 77% of 30,000 voters questioned at nearly 500 polling stations around the country. The second poll, conducted by Ukraine's Social Monitoring Centre, put Yushchenko ahead by 49.5% to 45.9%. These results were disputed by the Yanukovych campaign team, who quoted their own exit polls giving their candidate a 3% to 5% lead.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters, including members of the PORA student movement, gathered in Independence Square in Kyiv to see the results broadcast live on television.

22 November

At 02:00 the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine announced that after 33% of accounted votes Viktor Yanukovich was ahead with 50% to the 46% for Viktor Yushchenko. That data sharply deviated from the results of several groups of sociologists who in the instant after the end of the voting declared Yushchenko's victory. Yushchenko travelled to CEC to meet with Serhiy Kivalov. After a meeting behind closed doors Yushchenko announced: "We do not trust the accountability of the Central Election Commission. We call on our supporters to come on to Maidan of Independence and protect their freedom."

The same night in Kyiv armoured vehicles arrived. BTRs appeared next to the building of CEC. Under the reinforced security was taken the building complex of the presidential administration. The order in the capital was carried out by several ten thousands of military personnel of the Internal Affairs and spetsnaz.

Ukraine's CEC announced that with 99% of the vote counted, Yanukovych had 49.4% of the vote while Yushchenko had 46.7%. This was rejected by the opposition, with Yushchenko calling on supporters to protest "the total falsification of the vote." The rally in Kyiv grew in size while large demonstrations were also held elsewhere in Ukraine. Some of the demonstrators set up tents in Kyiv's Independence Square. Later that night, Yushchenko told supporters to stay in the square overnight to keep the tent encampment safe from security forces who wanted to dismantle it.

We have received information that authorities want to destroy our tent city at 3 a.m. ... At two o'clock there should be more of us than now. We must defend every chestnut tree, every tent. We must show to the authorities we are here for a long time... There must be more and more of us here every hour.

City councils of four major cities in Western Ukraine, including L'viv and Ivano-Frankivs'k, refused to recognize the official results and declared that Yushchenko had won the election. The chairman of the Russian State Duma, Boris Gryzlov, acting as the observer, estimated the declared results as final and congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on his victory, following which Vladimir Putin did the same.

Despite the cold weather and fear caused by the relocation of the military vehicles and the special operations personnel, the supporters of Yushchenko gathered around 100-150 thousands of followers. All of the leaders of the ''opposition'' came to the meeting, including Viktor Yushchenko, Yulia Timoshenko