キエフの中心にある独立広場。2014年、親露派のヤヌコーヴィチ大統領を逃亡に追いやった若者たちのデモ、マイダン革命が起きた場所だ。機動隊との衝突で100人以上が犠牲となり、いま広場には慰霊碑が建ち並ぶ。革命はロシアに押し潰されてきたウクライナの人々の尊厳を取り戻す闘いでもあった。当時デモに参加した友人は言う。「あの革命で自分たちは本当の自由を勝ち取り享受してきた。ロシアとの闘いは2月24日に突然始まったんじゃない。8年前の仲間の死を無駄にしてはならないのだ。」
Independence Square in the center of Kiev, site of the 2014 Maidan
Revolution, a youth demonstration that forced pro-Russian President
Yanukovych to flee the city. More than 100 people were killed in
clashes with riot police, and the square is now lined with memorials.
The revolution was also a struggle to restore the dignity of the
Ukrainian people, who had been crushed by Russia. A friend of mine who
participated in the demonstrations at the time said “The struggle
against Russia did not start suddenly on February 24, and we must not
let the deaths of our comrades eight years ago be in vain.”