Back to Ukraine Photo Gallery start page Click here for map of Ukraine: Read about Orange Revolution aftermath

Pictures of the Orange Revolution

The Early Days of the Demonstrations in Kiev

The Orange Revolution was a unique event in the recent history of Ukraine. Many expats in Ukraine — especially those in Kiev — got caught up in it as well and participated in demonstrations despite U.S. State Department warnings. Orange Revolution souvenirs are still being sold today. The pictures below capture the feeling of the early days of the "revolution," when emotions were at a high and Ukrainians felt a sense of liberation, civic will, and unity for the first time in many years.

Click on pictures to view larger version in separate window.
= the best and highest quality photos (in our opinion).

I was an election observer in Kharkov during the run-off on Nov. 21. Here territorial polling committee members are counting unused ballots.	The committee worked all night long with periodic intense arguments. Here local polling station supervisors are bringing their boxes of ballots to report voting results.	Just a few days later as voting results are clearly being falsified Maydan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kiev has begun to fill up with protesters. The first 28 tents appear (representing the 28 oblasts of Ukraine).	Protesters and many others who are just curious about all the fuss mill about. The atmosphere is festive as people speak their mind and resonate with each other. People feel a sense of unity that they haven't felt before.
The first big batch of tents. These guys look serious! We sure hope they are! We've never seen people living in tents in the middle of Khreschatyk street before.	The tent "city" is roped off; dwellers take turns guarding the perimeter. Someone has donated a bunch of identical tents. protesters stream in from all over Ukraine.	New tents keep coming and coming. A big TV screen has been put up that shows opposition-owned TV station "5th Channel" which covers election news around the clock.	Newcomers to the tent camp sign up and are assigned a spot and get a thick styrofoam mat to put their tent on. In a few days it would get really cold.
I went along with this crowd just to see where it was going... All along the way people waved anything orange that they had from their apartment windows and balconies and shouted along with the crowd.	By the time I got to this place and looked behind me I had realized I was part of a massive procession through the entire downtown.	Here we are showing what we think of the Central Electoral Committee. During these demonstrations no violence was ever registered. From the very outset the crowds chose to prove their peaceful, ethical stance.	These lone policemen watch from behind barricades as thousands boo the Central Electoral Committee and chant "disgrace!" At the same time the crowd shouts "the police are with the people!" Armed personnel carriers hide under camouflage behind the CEC building.
Quickly donations of warm clothing, camping gear, food, and money start pouring in. This mountain of clothes is for cold campers.	As the weather turns frigid the camp only grows. Even though no alcohol is allowed in camp, there is dancing and partying all night long. Many Kievites join them. The nighttime atmosphere is like a big halloween party.	After dark when most protesters return home young businessmen in outrageous dress show up in fancy cars to honk their horns and party in the street with the campers.	Need I mention that the prevailing color was orange? The more orange, the better.
This is a mock grave or memorial to the "deceased" Yanukovich. This kind of folk art could be seen all around the perimeter of the half dozen or so tent camps in the center of Kiev and has been partially preserved in the new Orange Revolution museum.	Soon the fancy shops along Khreschatyk caught on to the new color scheme. Two months later orange is still in fashion. And not just in Ukraine...	Countless Kievites, like these college girls, brought campers hot tea, borsch, and other homemade food. It was like making a pilgrimage.	Even though every effort was made to accommodate people from out of town, some still had nowhere to spend the night. These poor folks from west Ukraine are sound asleep in uncomfortable chairs in the lobby of a movie theater. Others with sleeping bags have crashed inside the theater. "5th Channel" is on in the background.
The crowd on Maydan watches the Supreme Court proceedings. Political commentators agree that the Dec. 3 Supreme Court decision to demand a repeat election run-off was the turning point of the Orange Revolution.	A sea of flags and orange from all over Ukraine.	These guys came from Kharkov. During this time the government tried to restrict people's movement around the country.	One of the several camp kitchens on Khreschatyk serves free food to whoever wants it. Countless restaurants and even some celebrities brought warm food to protesters day in and day out.
This must be some kind of gigantic stove that is being used to cook massive amounts of soup for the crowds.	People hang Yuschenko banners from the glass-covered shopping center on Maydan Nezalezhnosti.	More banners. People write on the orange banner as they walk past.	Across from the Cabinet of Ministers a camp of Yanukovich supporters from Donetsk was set up and abandoned a few days later. Then Yuschenko supporters came in and began using the left-over barrels (used for holding fires) as drums to remind the Cabinet of their presence. This deafening primieval drumming continued for days.
Here demonstrators sculpted their towns' names out of snow: Lviv, Ternopil, Kiev.	The Cabinet of Ministers stares across at the few dozen drummers, whose playing is guided by a self-appointed conductor (!).	This poster about "Elections a la Lugansk" documents election violations in Lugansk oblast (east Ukraine).	Another poster of Yanukovich caricatures pokes fun at the ex-convict Prime Minister and would-be president of Ukraine. Telling Yanukovich jokes had became a national pastime during the election campaign and were circulated all over the Internet.

All photos are the original work of Rick DeLong. To learn about purchasing originals, go here. Please contact me at before using my pictures for any purpose.