Andriy Movchan brought light – quite literally – wherever he went. That’s what his friends and party colleagues remember about Movchan, a 34-year-old EuroMaidan activist and Democratic Alliance party member.
Movchan
used to work as a lighting technician for Ivan Franko National Academic Drama
Theatre in Kyiv. Bohdan Beniuk, Ukrainian actor who works for the same theatre,
said “the theatre won’t never forget Andriy,” while addressing members of
parliament during the Verkhovna Rada session on Feb. 22.
When
EuroMaidan protests started in Kyiv three months ago, Movchan kept working. He
found free time in the mornings to come to Maidan Nezalezhnosti or at nights. The
activist walked the barricades and offered help.
“Andriy merely want to live in fair country,” Volodymyr
Zhelizko, a member of the Democratic Alliance, a key part of the EuroMaidan
demonstrations, said.
Movchan’s
friends said he had a teddy-bear personality
Oksana
Piddubna, also a Democratic Alliance member, said “he couldn’t imagine his life
without theatre.”
Movchan
joined the Democratic Alliance party in 2011 and tried to combine civic
activities with routine tasks.
“We have
one tradition in our party,” Liudmyla Petrukhan, another Democratic Allaince member
explains. “After every meeting we used to embrace each other. I remember Andriy
was really surprised about it, but then he liked it as well,” Petrukhan says.
Movchan was
on Maidan early in the morning on Feb. 20. Then his friends couldn’t reach him
telephone. He died from a gunshot wound to his head.
Another
EuroMaidan victim with the Democratic Alliance is 19-year old volunteer Ustym
Holodniuk.
Holodniuk
promised to meet with his father in Kyiv in the morning on Feb. 20 at 11 a.m.
so that he could go home to rest for a few days. He was also shot in his head
by a sniper on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. His light blue helmet, covered with blood,
was found by his father.
His party
fellows remember he was a positive and courageous young man. Once he shared food
and a heater with a police officer near the barricades. Later, the officer came
to the activists and thanked Holodniuk.
Holodniuk
came to Maidan Nezalezhnosti on Nov. 23. Holodniuk was one of those students
who were violently dispersed by Berkut riot-control police the night of Nov. 30.
“It was the first time we met,” Maksym Panov recalled.
He came to
EuroMaidan every day after that.
“We were
sitting in the tent at night, drinking tea and laughing. He was with us. He
will stay in our hearts forever,” Holodniuk’s fellow party member, Serhhiy
Mokreniuk, wrote on his Facebook page on Feb. 20.
On Feb. 22,
when ex-President Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine, Democratic Alliance members gathered
on Maidan Nezalezhnosti to commemorate their friends.
“That’s our
boys. We should never forget them,” Anastasia Nizhnyk, another party member
said.
Kyiv Post
staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at [email protected]
