[gunshots]

[man 1 speaking Ukrainian] Do something.

Do something for the revolution.

[man 2 speaking Ukrainian] I'm filming.

-This is the Ukrainian Revolution. -[shouting continues]

It's fun.

-They're shooting over there! -[gunshots]

Don't go there!

Don't go there! They're shooting over there!

There, he fell.

I was just dragging a dead body.

I stepped in blood. You can't surprise me with anything.

You thought it would be easy, just go to Maidan,

hang out a little and then go back?

Not me. I always wanted to be on the front lines.

[man] That's it. He's dead.

[men shouting in Ukrainian]

[narrator speaking English] For centuries, the Ukraine has existed

at the axis between east and west.

In 1991, Ukraine declares its independence from the Soviet Union.

In 2004, pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych,

wins the presidential vote.

The election was found to be rigged,

as a result, the people take to the streets

in a peaceful protest called the Orange Revolution.

They are successful and the election results are overturned.

During the years following,

Ukraine struggles to find economic stability.

2010, Yanukovych returns.

This time the election is confirmed and he regains full control.

While promising EU membership to the public,

Yanukovych secretly negotiates a competing alignment with Russia.

In fall 2013, a key milestone approaches

as Yanukovych appears ready to sign an association with the EU.

Yet, as the people look to the west, their leader turns to the east,

and the future of the nation hangs in the balance.

[in Ukrainian] There is no alternative to the integration with the EU.

[Ekaterina Averchenko] Something was promised to people,

everything was working toward this,

and then...

[Mustafa Nayyem] On November 21st,

Prime Minister Azarov said they were not signing the agreement.

It was hard to make a decision to stop the process

of signing the EU Free Trade Agreement.

-[people chanting] -Listen, listen, you can always scream.

We know you can scream.

It's a big step backwards, not just a step of one generation,

but all the way back to my grandparents in the USSR.

This... outraged people, not just because times are tough now,

but they also stole our children's future.

My friend wrote me on Facebook,

"Did you see Mustafa's call to come to Maidan?"

STATUS UPDATE

I said, "Yes, I saw it."

[Averchenko] I was working late.

I opened Facebook and the first post I saw said

to come to Maidan.

I closed my laptop.

The next time I opened it was a month and a half later.

[Maksim Panov] Everything began here on Maidan.

First, there were about 300-400 people.

We were looking at each other and saying,

"Where are these thousands of people that Mustafa called?"

People gradually began to come out

from the subway and public transport,

and in half an hour there were already thousands of people.

[Olena Stadnik] The next day, people woke up and went to Maidan.

Despite the rain, we were here.

[man] I came here because several days ago,

our government crossed out the future of Ukraine,

and the aspirations of Ukrainian youth.

I came here to defend my future,

the future of my children, compatriots and country.

Vitali Klitschko came to Maidan when he saw that a huge crowd was gathering there.

He brought his truck with the banner of his political party

but people made him take it away.

[overlapping chatter]

In general, these were people indifferent to politics.

-[chanting] Ukraine is part of Europe! -[horn blowing]

[Nayyem] When students started to mass together,

it became clear that something was gonna happen.

[chanting] Ukraine is part of Europe!

[chanting continues]

[chanting continues]

What energy there was! I have no words to express it!

Some people outside Maidan were angry with us,

saying, "It's like a festival, not a protest.

You are just standing, singing songs and dancing."

We are standing here to prove that Ukraine is a European country,

to reverse the existing political regime.

We dream of a better future. [giggles]

[Katya Korniyko] I went to a café,

and I sat at a table with some of the students,

and I fell in love with these kids,

because their souls are so pure, and they believe in Ukraine so much.

[cheering]

Look at the people, how inspired they are,

not because of alcohol or drugs, but because of togetherness.

[chanting] Together, till the end!

I'm applauding for those who came out for European integration.

[Averchenko] People came out because the government promised them

to make an agreement with the European Union,

so we'll finally have steps to live as a European country...

like a part of the civil world.

-[cheering] -[chanting] Sign!

Yanukovych, sign the agreement!

Sign!

[man] This is our document!

We gathered in Maidan,

to demand our politicians sign the agreement with the EU!

We're waiting on tomorrow's signing.

[man 2] The Maidan of 2004 started the same way.

People were standing for their rights, and they proved that we have the power.

[chanting] Do what we want!

[reporter speaking Ukrainian] A miracle didn't happen,

and European Union leaders and Ukraine have failed to sign

an historic free trade deal after a last minute U-turn from Kyiv.

[chanting in Ukrainian] Shame!

[overlapping chant] Convict out!

Shame! Shame!

[Nayyem] There were quite a lot of police. They began encircling Maidan.

Police cars were approaching.

During the whole day we had the feeling,

that the Berkut Special Forces had been preparing for something.

[woman] I'd like to pronounce one word:

Re-vo-lu-tion.

[all chanting] Re-vo-lu-tion!

[chanting continues]

[chanting] Take down the regime!

[chanting] The police with the people!

[protestors shouting]

Girls stood in the center, and boys filled the stairs.

The girls began to sing the national anthem.

[protestors singing]

[overlapping shouts]

[man] Stop!

Stop!

[man screaming]

I'm falling!

[woman shrieking]

What the hell are you doing? Why?

[screaming]

[man] Be careful!

The troops beat everyone with iron sticks instead of plastic ones.

It seemed that even they were surprised

by injuries they had made using them.

[man] Why?

My friends called me and I heard people screaming and crying,

and I immediately understood what was going on.

And you want to cry, to run, to break something,

because you realize you can't do anything to stop this mass destruction machine.

[overlapping shouts]

There were girls! Kids were there!

They pushed the 18-year-old girl and started beating her.

They beat people in the back, people fell down,

but they continued beating them.

I just wanted to find a girl that got lost there.

But they didn't understand that and started beating.

They didn't act like human beings.

When I asked them why,

they answered, "Be grateful you're not being arrested."

The motto, "police with people" is absolutely incorrect,

because all of them stand entirely with the asshole president.

There are such bastards in the police,

that I'm not surprised that our president is such a person as Yanukovych.

[Eduard Kurganskyi] People who managed to escape from Maidan,

moved to Mykhaylivs'kyi zolotoverkhyi Monastery.

[man] My friend is injured,

he has a concussion and he's in the hospital now.

My wife's arm is heavily bruised.

I feel well enough, although my head is injured.

It's nothing serious.

I wanted to take away his stick,