Angelina Kariakina

Five former officers from Ukraine’s police special forces – known as “Berkut” – stand trial in Kyiv. They are accused of killing 48 protesters on the Maidan in February 2014. Many of their co-workers fled Ukraine immediately after the events and stayed in Russia, some even as the investigation unfolded. They see the Maidan activists either as foreign-trained militants, or as paid protesters. Meanwhile, many in Ukraine still find it hard to believe that Ukrainian policemen could have been involved in the killings – even some media outlets say that mysterious Kremlin snipers might have done it. My project looks more closely at these mutually exclusive representations of Maidan activists and members of the police force. Five former officers from Ukraine’s police special forces – known as “Berkut” – stand trial in Kyiv. They are accused of killing 48 protesters on the Maidan in February 2014. Many of their co-workers fled Ukraine immediately after the events and stayed in Russia, some even as the investigation unfolded. They see the Maidan activists either as foreign-trained militants, or as paid protesters. Meanwhile, many in Ukraine still find it hard to believe that Ukrainian policemen could have been involved in the killings – even some media outlets say that mysterious Kremlin snipers might have done it. My project looks more closely at these mutually exclusive representations of Maidan activists and members of the police force.

This was a Ukraine in European Dialogue Solidarity Fellowship. These fellowships are offered by invitation for notable scholars, cultural figures, and public intellectuals from Ukraine.