The assault of Euromaidan by security forces on 11 December 2013 was an attempt by

Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...

's government to break up the

Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...

protest through a night assault using Berkut special police units and interior ministry troops. Their tactics included the displacement of frontal peaceful protesters from lightly barricaded camps at the Independence Square and part of

Khreshchatyk Khreshchatyk ( uk, Хрещатик, ) is the main street of Kyiv, Ukraine. The street has a length of . It stretches from the European Square (northeast) through the Maidan and to Bessarabska Square (southwest) where the Besarabsky Market is ...

Street which is near

Bessarabska Square The Bessarabska Square ( uk, Бессарабська площа, ''Bessarabs'ka ploscha'') is a square located at the southwest end of Khreshchatyk, the main thoroughfare of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is located in the city's Shevchenkivs ...

. The government claimed the need to maintain public order and the enforcement of a decision made by the

Pecherskyi District Pecherskyi District ( uk, Печерський район) is an Urban districts of Ukraine, urban district of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It lies within the eponymous historical neighborhood, while also including some other historical areas. ...

Court, that was read by state bailiffs to the protesters. However, it was later established that such a procedure was illegal, as state executors only had the right to read decisions until 10pm. The court order was also explicit in the fact that

Vitali Klitschko Vitali Volodymyrovych Klitschko (; uk, Віта́лій Володи́мирович Кличко́ ; born 19 July 1971) is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer who serves as mayor of Kyiv People responsible for the assault against the protesters have not been identified.

Events

Beginning of the assault

The Berkut special police units began their attempt to clear up Euromaidan at 1:02 am. The Berkut soldiers began to break down the barricades on Instytutska Street, while starting a fight with "Freedom" party deputies

Ruslan Koshulynskyi Ruslan Volodymyrovych Koshulynskyi ( uk, Руслан Володимирович Кошулинський; born 9 September 1969) is a Ukrainian politician, nationalist, soldier, and former People's Deputy of Ukraine who served as the 9th Deputy S ...

, Oleksii Kaida, Andrii Mishchenko and Oleh Osuhovskyi. Two of the deputies sustained injuries on their faces and bodies. At 1:33 a.m.

Andriy Shevchenko Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko, or Andrii Mykolaiovych Shevchenko ( uk, Андрій Миколайович Шевченко, ; born 29 September 1976) is a Ukrainian football manager, a former professional football player and a former politici ...

informed the protesters that Berkut forces were going to break the barricades from the side of

Mykhailivska Square Saint Michael's Square ( uk, Михайлівська площа, translit=Mykhailivska ploshcha) is a square in Old Kyiv, Ukraine. Located in the Shevchenkivskyi District of Kyiv, the square lies in front of Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Mon ...

. Violent fights occurred in the Square as the Berkut started destroying the barricade on Instytutska Street, and

Titushky The Titushky (plural; uk, тітушки, russian: титушки) were mercenary agents in Ukraine who supported the Ukrainian security services during the administration of Viktor Yanukovych, often posing as street hooligans in sports clothing ...

started plundering the camp. Although the government concentrated a large number of security forces around the square, protesters did not give up and their number eventually grew. Berkut used tear gas on the protesters and the clouds of smoke were visible over the crowd as reports about arrested and injured people, including MPs, were being aired in the news. Calls for the mass mobilization of

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

citizens to the Maidan were spread and many people responded to the call.

Main assault

The Berkut suspended their assault and protesters were given shields, which were obtained from the Berkut. The Berkut began to regroup and move against the protesters once again. Unarmed protesters with linked arms had been holding the Euromaidan defense line for three hours against the large mass of Berkut from the Instytutska street side of the square. The number of people at Euromaidan grew, but the leaders of Berkut were also trying to regroup their forces in order to attack from the other side. Several ''

titushky The Titushky (plural; uk, тітушки, russian: титушки) were mercenary agents in Ukraine who supported the Ukrainian security services during the administration of Viktor Yanukovych, often posing as street hooligans in sports clothing ...

'' (thugs) sprang out from the Prorizna street and started to attack people with the intent to organize a hash. There were more than 15 thousand people on the Maidan at this time. The Berkut continued trying to break into the Trade Unions Building. With the number of people on the Maidan increasing, the Berkut came closer to the Maidan and tried to encircle it. Euromaidan Night of 11 December 108

Bells of the Maidan

As 4,000 Berkut soldiers attacked the square, the bell-ringer of the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery Ivan Sydor (of the UOC-KP), rang the bells in alarm. The bells rang constantly from 1am to 5am, "urging people to go to the main square of the capital and support the protesters who were threatened by Yanukovych's security forces." 8 hours after the assault had begun, Maidan self-defense units stabilized the Euromaidan perimeter by pushing the Berkut fighters back beyond the barricades.

Aftermath

The forceful assault of the peaceful protesters is mostly seen by observers as unreasonable. Observers have stated that if Yanukovych simply let the protesters be, the demonstrations would have died out. Due to the violent and illegal crackdown by authorities, the demonstration proved to be a success. The warning alarm system of the National Resistance Headquarters enabled activists to come by cars, public transport and some taxis gave free rides. The illegal court order served by the assaulting forces was not executed and the government did not attempt to enforce it again. Ultimately, the

protest and its crackdown contributed to the collapse of Yanukovych's government in February 2014. Scholars noted that the demonstration showed an unprecedented tenacity and self-organization on the part of the protesters - phenomena that are considered unique in post-Soviet mass mobilization. Specifically, this aspect also gave rise to an emergent volunteer movement and the rise in activism of civil society groups in Ukraine. The majority of the protesters were not affiliated with any political organization. The Euromaidan protest also has bearing on the Russian response to the protest and Yanukovych ouster. Its annexation of Crimea and its military incursion into Ukraine were activities that - for a number of observers - indicate a fear of having to contend with "a Maidan of its own, about exercising control in its 'spheres of interests and influence' and about contradictions between East and West, as perceived by Russia." On 20 February 2019, priest Ivan Sydor, who had rung the bell of the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, received the Ukrainian Order of Merit of the third class " r civic courage, selfless defence of the constitutional principles of

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

, human rights and freedoms, discovered during the

Revolution of Dignity The Revolution of Dignity ( uk, Революція гідності, translit=Revoliutsiia hidnosti) also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution,

, fruitful public and volunteering activities". On 4 April 2019, it was reported that Ivan Sydor had received his Ukrainian Order of Merit of the third class from

Yevhen Nyshchuk Yevhen Mykolayovych Nyshchuk ( uk, Євген Миколайович Нищук) is Ukrainian theater and cinema actor, Merited Artist of Ukraine and a former Minister of Culture of Ukraine. He held the post from February to December 2014, and a ...

, the Ukrainian Minister for Culture.

Gallery

File:Euromaidan Night of 11 December 110.jpg, Crowd of Berkutians on Institutskaya Street ready to attack File:Euromaidan Night of 11 December 105.jpg, Maidan defenders on Institutskaya Street are ready to defend themselves File:Euromaidan Night of 11 December 102.jpg, The onset of the storming of barricades File:Euromaidan Night of 11 December 003.jpg, Defenders of the Maidan are holding back the onset of Berkut Euromaidan Night of 11 December 012.jpg, Barricade protection File:Euromaidan Night of 11 December 6.jpg, Golden eagle shield File:Атака на КМДА, 10 грудня 2013-03.jpg, Reflecting the attack near the KSCA File:Cityhallhose.JPG, Protesters pour siloviki water from the KSCA premises File:Euromaidan Kiev 2013.12.11 22-04.JPG, Restored after storming the barricade on the street. Khreshchatyk

References

{{Euromaidan Euromaidan 2013 in Ukraine 2013 riots Riots and civil disorder in Ukraine December 2013 events in Europe