How and when will Maidan end? Opinions

The women rarely visit Kiev – once in a few years. Natalia is from western Hmelnistkaya Province and Tatyana is from the south – Uman. However, I met the westerner at anti-Maidan and the southerner – on a Maidan bench. I asked them the same question and got different answers.

Natalia. Anti-Maidan. Housewife, Iseslav, Hmelnistkaya Province.

Tatyana, Maidan. Pensioner. Uman.

Euroradio: Why have you joined this meeting instead of the other one?

Natalia: I like our President. I have come to support him like all the others. We have come here because we wanted it. People who respect the President are here of their own free will.  Maidan people say that we are getting paid for it. But it is not true. It is a difficult period for the President, he is under pressure. W e decided to show that people support him.

Tatyana: I have been here for three days. I am leaving tomorrow because I cannot stay near the barricades all the time like our men do. I came here to feel the spirit of freedom. And there is spirit of freedom. I will turn 65 soon and I did not know that there were real Ukrainians in Ukraine. Patriots. I am very proud of it now.

Euroradio: What do you think of the other meeting in Maidan Nezalezhnosti?

Natalia: I think that many people are not doing what they should be doing there. They do not know what they want. They say that we are getting paid here but I know that they are also getting paid. I know it. Do not think that they are there only to support freedom. Everything is complicated in Ukraine. They are also getting paid as there are people interested in it.

Tatyana: I am against the regime we have in Ukraine now. You cannot compare our meetings. That meeting is paid for, this is 100% true. This meeting was started by students and young people. Politicians joined later. You cannot change the government without politics. But I am sure that everyone is of their own free will here. And the administrative resource is used at the other meeting.

Euroradio: How do you think the confrontation will end?

Natalia: I think that everything will be fine. I wish we could reach mutual understanding. We need to understand one another. We do not need this enmity and fighting… Why would anyone want that? We need these meetings to disappear and the President and the government need to work in normal conditions. They are clever people and they know what should be done.

Tatyana: Our meeting will win, Euromaidan will win. We are of our own free will here… I see no future in Klichko, Tyahnybok or Yatsenyuk. But they do not matter, the team matters. If one of them is able to make a team, we will win and life in Ukraine will become much better. It will be better. I believe in it. It cannot be worse that it is in Ukraine now. It can only be worse in some African tribe.

Euromaidan started in Kiev more than a month ago. Anti-Maidan is almost over. Yanukovich is not going to resign; PM Azarov is still in power. The opposition demands a new presidential election in 2014.