Ukraine observes the Day of Dignity and Freedom born from two national uprisings

Both events became defining moments in modern Ukrainian history. Each stopped Moscow’s attempt to tighten control over Kyiv, including through the active support of pro-Russian political forces in Ukraine.

On Nov. 21, 2004, the second round of the presidential election took place. The scale of vote-rigging in favor of pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych was so blatant that by the morning of Nov. 22, Kyiv’s Independence Square had already transformed into the center of a massive, peaceful protest. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians, outraged by the falsification of results, launched a continuous demonstration that lasted until Dec. 26 — the day of the court-mandated repeat runoff.

Representatives of various political camps united behind opposition leader and former prime minister Viktor Yushchenko, who ultimately became Ukraine’s third president after the repeat vote. His presidency, though marked by infighting, laid key foundations for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and for restoring historical truth about the country’s national identity.

Nine years later, almost to the day, the Revolution of Dignity began.

On Nov. 21, 2013, a small group of activists and journalists gathered on Independence Square to protest the government’s sudden decision to halt preparations for an Association Agreement with the European Union — a move taken by the cabinet led by Mykola Azarov. That quiet protest became the first page of a dramatic chapter: Euromaidan grew into a nationwide revolution that ultimately toppled the pro-Russian Yanukovych regime.

Late that evening, about two thousand Kyiv residents — responding to journalist Mustafa Nayyem’s call on social media — came to the square, carrying Ukrainian and EU flags. The protest was spontaneous and not coordinated by politicians. Around 150 activists stayed overnight at the base of the Independence Monument.

In the following days, students, youth, and pro-European Ukrainians joined the protest.
The turning point came on the night of Nov. 30, when riot police (Berkut) violently dispersed roughly 400 peaceful demonstrators under the pretext of “clearing” the square to install a Christmas tree. Officers encircled the site and used force — beating protesters with fists, boots, and batons, and throwing flashbangs into the crowd. Around 80 people were injured, including journalists.

The footage shocked the country.

By Sunday, Dec. 1, between 500,000 and 1 million people poured into central Kyiv.

On Dec. 8, 2013, the March of Millions took place. Protesters issued an ultimatum to Yanukovych, demanding he dismiss the Azarov government within 48 hours and free detained activists.

Snow and freezing temperatures did not stop the daily rallies. As the government ignored the demands, the protesters’ message hardened into a clear ultimatum: Yanukovych had to resign.

The confrontation escalated sharply after Jan. 16, 2014, when parliament — violating procedure and even basic voting rules — passed the so-called “dictatorship laws,” a package of bills severely restricting protests and media freedoms.

Jan. 22, 2014, became a point of no return.
After days of clashes near Hrushevsky Street in central Kyiv, the first protesters were killed: Serhii Nihoyan and Mikhailo Zhiznevsky.

Never in Ukraine’s modern history had a peaceful mass protest resulted in the killing of demonstrators. Neither the early-1990s Student Revolution nor the 2004 Orange Revolution had seen such violence.

As journalist Yuriy Butusov later wrote:

“With the blood of Jan. 22 — the public execution of unarmed people — Yanukovych cut off his own road back. And he cut off the road back for everyone who came out on Euromaidan.”

What no one knew then was that only a month later — between Feb. 18 and Feb. 21 — the death toll would rise into the dozens.
The massacre of the Heavenly Hundred became the final end of Yanukovych’s political career in Ukraine.

In the early hours of Feb. 22, Yanukovych fled his Mezhyhirya residence and, within two days, surfaced in Russia. That same day, 328 lawmakers voted to remove him from office and scheduled a snap presidential election for May 25, 2014 — won by Petro Poroshenko.

Meanwhile, even before Yanukovych fled, Russia had already launched its invasion of Crimea on Feb. 20, 2014, beginning the occupation that soon expanded into war in Donbas. Russia’s war against Ukraine has now entered its twelfth year, including nearly four years of full-scale invasion — while Moscow still cynically labels the Revolution of Dignity a “coup.”

Ukraine, however, honors the beginnings of both uprisings by marking the Day of Dignity and Freedom on Nov. 21, established by President Poroshenko on Nov. 13, 2014. The date replaced the earlier “Day of Freedom,” which was celebrated on Nov. 22 from 2005 to 2011 but abolished by Yanukovych.