In the winter of that year, Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv was filled with enthusiasm. The temperature at midnight was below -20 degrees Celsius, but the body heat and breath of hundreds of thousands of young people gathered at the city's Independence Square created a mist of water vapor.
In December 2004, for the first time in Ukraine, which was once the Soviet Union, citizens rose up to choose the future of their country. Many citizens were in despair over the corrupt Russian-style politics, which were riddled with money and crime. It was a fight to drag down a puppet who claimed to have been "elected" as president with Russia's approval.
The capital was locked down, and young people wearing orange, the symbolic color of the opposition candidate, occupied the center of politics. Both security forces and the military maintained restraint and did not use force. Intelligence agencies connected to Russia incited pro-Russian residents, but it was not a big deal. The civil uprising gained momentum as a bloodless revolution day by day.
The previous winter, the "Rose Revolution" that put an end to Russian-style politics had occurred in Georgia in the Caucasus region, not far from Ukraine. At this time, the old system collapsed in just 20 days. In Ukraine, I walked around the barricades to imprint the slow-paced revolution in my memory.
The young people took turns warming themselves by throwing firewood into a large metal can. A moment of rest they were holding a local liquor called "Pertsovka," also known as the "Sword of Ukraine." There was not the slightest trace of sorrow on their faces as they gulped down the thick, chilled vodka with chili peppers, chilled to -20 degrees Celsius.
Around dawn, I went into a bar in a corner of Independence Square and ordered the same Pertsovka. Needless to say, it came with "Salo," a drinking snack made from pork back fat rubbed with garlic and dill and salted. I put a slice of frozen fat on some black bread, bit into it, and drank the golden liquid in one gulp. I realized that the tingling sensation that went right down to my stomach was what stirred up the fighting spirit of the young people.
Soon the revolution won without bloodshed, and the presidential election was re-run, and the political system of "leaving Russia and joining Europe" was selected. However... The older generation, educated in the Soviet era, was preoccupied with political strife rather than establishing a transparent and democratic government. The division in society was not repaired, and they fell into the trap of a dangerous Russian plot.
It's been 20 years since that revolution. Now, in the midst of a war that has killed approximately 100,000 in both Ukrainians and Russians, what are the young people who were in their 20s at that time doing? Are people in their 40s volunteering to go to the front lines? Or perhaps their children's generation is forced to fight wars? Whether in Ukraine, Russia or anywhere else, it is always the young people who pay the price for foolish politics.