An Orange Revolution
A Personal Journey Through Ukrainian History
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
In December 2004, the world watched as hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians gathered to defy the results of a transparently rigged presidential election. The charismatic popular candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, had been poisoned and disfigured by his opponents. The security forces threatened violent repression. But the demonstrators stayed and, as international pressure grew, the corrupt old regime that had been supported by Putin's Kremlin was deposed. It was the most significant moment for Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
An Orange Revolution is the gripping account of this historic uprising and the events that led to it. Ukraine was treated roughly by the twentieth century, occupied by the Germans and annexed by the Soviets. It saw guerrilla fighting after the Second World War and dissent was crushed by successive Communist administrations. Its history has been one of corruption, power struggles, organised crime, but a resiliently optimistic population.
Based on firsthand observation and interviews with major players and anonymous demonstrators alike, this is about a people who have forced a lasting change: judges who defied death threats, a murdered journalist, amateur musicians who composed an anthem for the people, and soldiers who staked their lives to back the opposition. An Orange Revolution also traces the story of the author's family, who paid a high price for speaking out.
An Orange Revolution is a captivating book about a defining moment in European history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this engrossing history of the Ukraine's 2004-05 Orange Revolution, journalist Krushelnycky recounts the sociopolitical changes that have wrenched the nation since before the fall of the Soviet Union. Beginning with the history of the Neolithic Trypillians in 3500 B.C., Krushelnycky glides through the centuries of history that shaped modern Ukrainian identity. Following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, President Kuchma led the Ukraine into a downward spiral of corruption, violence and oppression. After years of government-controlled media, falsified election results, economic distress and widespread bribery, the 2004 presidential election exploded in a peaceful but determined struggle by progressive, pro-democracy forces to unseat the long-ruling, Kremlin-endorsed authoritarian regime. Krushelnycky captures skillfully the excitement and optimism that surrounded Viktor Yuschenko's tumultuous victory, and Krushelnycky seamlessly asserts himself and his own observations within the larger framework of local and world politics. If Krushelnycky's first book falters, it's only in its devotion to detail; the compelling narrative is occasionally sidetracked by topics like the architectural construction of the city of Donetsk and the origin of Russian political slang. Krushelnycky's enthusiasm for Ukranian culture is palpable throughout, and his honest, far-reaching account makes this an invaluable resource.
