Purple Revolution. "Orange" revolution in Moldova. New color revolution
Not a single political protest in the history of modern Armenia has ended in success
Simon Karakhanyan
The Republican Party of Armenia, which has been ruling in this post-Soviet country for more than ten years, has been led by the leader Serzh Sargsyan legislatively secured the ground for the longest stay in power. The constitutional reform in 2015 allowed S. Sargsyan, who has been president since 2008, to remain in the role of prime minister for another 7 years, who, by the way, now has more powers than the president.
The constitutional changes, despite all the risks associated with the reproduction of power, could not cause worthy protests in the country. This, first of all, was due to the fact that many believed the then incumbent President Sargsyan in his unwillingness to head the cabinet of ministers. Subsequently, his opinion on this matter changed, and almost on the eve of his appointment as prime minister, which will take place on April 17, the streets of Yerevan again became crowded.
So far, the weather is favorable to the protesters, who have announced round-the-clock actions. Less supportive were the forces of law and order. They have already used stun grenades, tear gas. There are wounded. The barbed wire stretched to block the demonstrators from reaching the administrative buildings caused injuries to one of the main initiators of this protest - Nikol Pashinyan.
Ten years ago, Serzh Sargsyan came to power under similar conditions. Then mass protests turned into bloody clashes - as a result ten one person died, and Sargsyan ten years became president. Later ten years the situation repeats itself. But the country's leadership will not use firearms yet, because the protest mass is not critical.
Nikol Pashinyan undoubtedly demonstrated his oratorical and organizational skills, but he alone is not enough to bring to the streets that critical mass that can force the government to make concessions. The protest history of Armenia showed that not a single political action ended in success. At the same time, almost all shares of economic or social character were decided in favor of the protesters. So far, there are no prerequisites for the fact that the number of people on the streets of Yerevan will increase at least to the level of 2008. Then, even according to the most skeptical estimates, about 30 thousand residents of the country came out to protest.
Today, the backbone of the demonstration are students who, with romanticism and pathos inherent in youth, with bouquets of lilacs in their hands, are ready to go to the barricades and believe that they can change not only the order in the country, but also the world.
On the other hand, there is a possibility that the future Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, who demonstrated his pliability during the period of socio-economic actions, will also this time show a desire to find a golden mean. There is a way out of this situation: he can promise that he will take the post temporarily, indicate a period (six months) until the Republican Party proposes another worthy candidate. This will solve several problems at once. Firstly, the Prime Minister and the Republican Party will save face, secondly, the opposition will lose the pretext for collecting mass actions for some time, and again fall into demagoguery, thirdly, Sargsyan will strengthen his position as a “people's” politician, ready to listen to complaints and find them decisions, discarding for good dozen years the probability of a revolutionary solution of political issues in the country. There will be no victory for the lilac revolution, but Sargsyan will make concessions.
The Ukrainian crisis is not the only topic that worries the peoples The protests in Moldova do not fade away, which gives hope to the adherents of the Russian world to unite former fellow citizens into a single fist. Are the inhabitants of this small state really eager to renew closer ties with Russia? On what basis are the protests developing in Moldova? What are their reasons? Let's figure it out.
New color revolution?
In September 2015, calm Moldova felt Newest technologies organization of popular uprisings. People were taken out into the street under various pretexts. Interestingly, the protests in Moldova for some time united irreconcilable rivals who see the future of the state in different ways. Despite the fact that the country is quite small, the political currents in it are developed, the population demonstrates high activity. It is understandable, since the standard of living of people is low, and the government is doing nothing to remedy the situation. But there is little crisis, which will undoubtedly affect the population. The society is constantly discussing the direction of the country's development. It should be noted that there are almost no pro-Russian forces in Moldova. The majority strives to take their rightful place in the family of European peoples. But they see the process differently. Some want to unite with Romania in a single state, others defend the independence of the country. Supporters of these ideas were brought together by protests in Moldova. For a time they forgot their differences.
Anti-allegorical revolution
The essence of the people's discontent boiled down to the fact that the rich are sitting in power, using it in their own interests. Nobody thinks about the fulfillment of social obligations. And then the media reported that one billion dollars had been stolen from the country's budget. It was a big part of him. All multidirectional political forces agreed on one thing: the government should be changed. The protesters demanded direct presidential elections. The people want to take part in determining the head of state. The current authorities have lost the confidence of their voters. And one more thing worth highlighting: the protests in Moldova, the reasons for which are of an economic nature, have led to the emergence of a platform for the solidarity of various forces. However, it is too early to call them pro-Russian. Moldovans think about their country, its development. They want to live in a prosperous state, so there is an ongoing discussion in society. People believe that the authorities are misusing their forces in an attempt to forcibly carry out the Romanianization of the country. Because the protesters have developed three points of national salvation. More about them.
Demands of the protesters
Let's take a closer look at whom the protests in Moldova are against. To do this, we point out the three points already mentioned. They are as follows:
- Removal from power of crooks and usurpers who have lost the trust of the country's partners. Both the West and the East are already openly saying that Moldova is a captured state.
- Termination of the policy of repression against dissenters who express their opinion.
- An immediate cessation of the propaganda of unionism, which is a crime against the sovereignty of Moldova. Its essence is the absorption of the country by Romania, followed by the abolition of statehood.
The protests in Moldova are connected with the defense of their own independence. People accuse the current authorities of deliberately degrading the state in order to cancel it and give the territory under foreign rule.
Initiation of the creation of armed formations
Understanding what is behind the protests in Moldova, one cannot help but draw parallels with similar events in other countries. Much is now known about color revolutions and the technologies for their organization. Puppeteers take advantage of the country's problems to bring people out into the streets. Their dissatisfaction is deliberately fueled through the media and social networks. So it was in Egypt, Syria, Ukraine. Nothing new has been invented in Moldova. But her example is indicative in that it demonstrated the man-made nature of the problems of the population. They do not occur on empty place. First, people are brought to power who make anti-people decisions and do not care about citizens. Over time, when the situation is tense to the limit, there are activists calling on the people to protest actions. Next item- the appearance of armed volunteers. This also happened in Moldova. True, it did not come to clashes. The unknown sniper never showed up. Those who organized the protests in Moldova needed volunteers to mask their provocative actions. Since there are armed people, it means that civilians can be killed and blamed on them. And they justified the appearance of volunteers by the need to defend themselves from the authorities, who did not disdain the arrests of the dissatisfied. That is, in Moldova we saw a classic color revolution. But, something went wrong.
world crisis
It is necessary to make a small digression to explain what happened in Moldova. The fact is that not a single coup is complete without the participation of third-party forces. In a patriotic environment, it is customary to blame the United States for everything, but the matter is even deeper. The world has actually become multipolar. It has forces waging a brutal war with each other. They are also called "Rothschilds and Rockefellers". In a different way: some represent the military-industrial complex, others represent finance. These clans have the ability to control almost all resources on the planet. In any case, in the information field, they are fighting one ongoing battle. Both groups have their roots in the West. Both of them had many other problems at the time of the protests in Moldova. The platform for the next coup was ready, but no one could use it. At this time, it was necessary to stop a more serious economic crisis. It was not up to small countries. Because the protests in Moldova went almost unnoticed by the main players.
How did the protests in Moldova end?
In fact, the opposition forces are not going to give up. People managed to force the parliament and the president of the country to make concessions. So, in January 2016, there was a change of government. It was a difficult process, since not a single candidate for the post of prime minister satisfied the opposition forces. They even occupied part of the parliament building, but retreated under pressure from the police. The current prime minister and his government represent the same clans of oligarchs as the previous ones. People don't trust them. However, the authorities had to make more serious concessions in order to calm the people. On May 22, direct presidential elections are planned. This suited the protesters, and they temporarily left the squares of Chisinau. To understand why there are protests in Moldova, one should look at the country's economy. Things are pretty tough there.
The economic basis of the revolution
The Republic of Moldova is an agricultural country. Part of its territory, where the main industrial enterprises were located, is now called Transnistria and is a separate state. Moldovan enterprises sold their products mainly in the post-Soviet space. It was not in demand among Western neighbors due to low competitiveness. With the start of the sanctions war, the country's enterprises began to lose eastern markets. The political engagement of the authorities has played a cruel joke on the economy. They followed the lead of the collective West, leaving their entrepreneurs without sales. But even this is not enough. The Moldovan authorities tried to arrange a blockade of Transnistria, which did not find understanding in Moscow. The Kremlin stepped up its response by impoverishing those who took advantage of Russian markets. The population of the country began to get poorer rapidly, since they did not accumulate fat. Moldova has been in a difficult situation throughout the post-Soviet years. The authorities did not initiate any measures to rectify the situation, which caused the people's wrath. It is worth adding that Western curators are in no hurry to solve Moldovan problems.
Protests in Moldova for Russia or not?
If we approach the development of the country rationally, then we can assume that people really should want to resume the former, still Soviet cooperation. Russia is a huge country, rich compared to Moldova. There will be buyers for wine and fruits and vegetables. But it's not like that at all. The left forces in Moldova are called pro-Russian. They are said to be in favor of cooperation with the East. But there are very few people who really want it. And they all come from Soviet Union. The youth looks to the West. The propaganda has done its job. People who grew up after Moldova gained independence want European integration. The oppositionists oppose the usurpation of power by pro-Romanian politicians, but they have nothing against the West. The left talks more about revival social policy, fulfillment of guarantees by the authorities. Ordinary citizens, by the way, are for an alliance with Russia. They are not afraid to lose power and want to live well, calmly, feel protected.
Positive points
Despite the fact that the protesters have few achievements, it should be pointed out that their struggle was not in vain. The authorities started talking about the fight against corruption, agreed to direct presidential elections, changed the policy in the field of tariffs for housing and communal services. That is, the people felt that they could continue to influence the adoption of vital decisions. This is perhaps the main thing. People have gained a confident position, leaders who will stand up for them in the event that a policy objectionable to the majority continues.
Will there be a continuation?
It is likely that soon we will again see reports that mass protests have resumed. The events of 2015 - early 2016 showed that the institutions of power in the country do not have the proper qualifications and cannot cope with the crisis. For a while, the people managed to calm down. Moreover, the spring does not leave the peasants, fed from the land, time for politics. However, the country's problems are far from being solved. The authorities need to develop a long-term strategy economic development. Simply put, choose with whom they will trade: with the West or with the East. And for this, you should take a pro-Moldovan position, think about the country, and not about your own wallet and accounts in Washington. So far, the leaders of the state do not demonstrate such.
conspiracy theory
It is worth saying a few words about another version. Some political scientists argue that a belt of instability is being created around Russia. Ukraine is a good example. They tried to turn Moldova into the same “black hole”. The version has the right to exist. But it seems that the matter goes deeper. The world rulers decided not just to destroy the Russian Federation. Today they need to tear Europe away from it, destroy economic ties. It is on this point of view that conspiracy theorists stand. They believe that the US economy is falling into a terrible crisis. You need to eat someone to last some more time. Russia bristled because it is inaccessible. The choice fell on the European Union. It is possible to destroy its economy only if the Russian Federation does not support a large neighbor. For this, small countries of the post-Soviet space are set on fire.
Conclusion
You know, you can talk a lot about the protests in Moldova, the war in Ukraine. Everywhere there are dissatisfied people who sincerely believe in the correctness of their views. And their activity is used by those who value money more than people. Overseas "masters of the world" are just waiting for the power in the state to weaken in order to destroy it and pump out resources. Therefore, a patriot should not fight with the authorities (even bad ones), but stand for the country and think with his head before taking up arms. And this applies to all countries of the former USSR. Do you agree?
Not a single political protest in the history of modern Armenia has ended in success
The Republican Party of Armenia, which has been ruling in this post-Soviet country for more than ten years, has been led by the leader Serzh Sargsyan legislatively secured the ground for the longest stay in power. The constitutional reform in 2015 allowed S. Sargsyan, who has been president since 2008, to remain in the role of prime minister for another 7 years, who, by the way, now has more powers than the president.
The constitutional changes, despite all the risks associated with the reproduction of power, could not cause worthy protests in the country. This, first of all, was due to the fact that many believed the then incumbent President Sargsyan in his unwillingness to head the cabinet of ministers. Subsequently, his opinion on this matter changed, and almost on the eve of his appointment as prime minister, which will take place on April 17, the streets of Yerevan again became crowded.
So far, the weather is favorable to the protesters, who have announced round-the-clock actions. Less supportive were the forces of law and order. They have already used stun grenades, tear gas. There are wounded. The barbed wire stretched to block the demonstrators from reaching the administrative buildings caused injuries to one of the main initiators of this protest - Nikol Pashinyan.
Ten years ago, Serzh Sargsyan came to power under similar conditions. Then mass protests turned into bloody clashes - as a result ten one person died, and Sargsyan ten years became president. Later ten years the situation repeats itself. But the country's leadership will not use firearms yet, because the protest mass is not critical.
Nikol Pashinyan undoubtedly demonstrated his oratorical and organizational skills, but he alone is not enough to bring to the streets that critical mass that can force the government to make concessions. The protest history of Armenia showed that not a single political action ended in success. At the same time, almost all actions of an economic or social nature were decided in favor of the protesters. So far, there are no prerequisites for the fact that the number of people on the streets of Yerevan will increase at least to the level of 2008. Then, even according to the most skeptical estimates, about 30 thousand residents of the country came out to protest.
Today, the backbone of the demonstration are students who, with romanticism and pathos inherent in youth, with bouquets of lilacs in their hands, are ready to go to the barricades and believe that they can change not only the order in the country, but also the world.
On the other hand, there is a possibility that the future Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, who demonstrated his pliability during the period of socio-economic actions, will also this time show a desire to find a golden mean. There is a way out of this situation: he can promise that he will take the post temporarily, indicate a period (six months) until the Republican Party proposes another worthy candidate. This will solve several problems at once. Firstly, the Prime Minister and the Republican Party will save face, secondly, the opposition will lose the pretext for collecting mass actions for some time, and again fall into demagoguery, thirdly, Sargsyan will strengthen his position as a “people's” politician, ready to listen to complaints and find them decisions, discarding for good dozen years the probability of a revolutionary solution of political issues in the country. There will be no victory for the lilac revolution, but Sargsyan will make concessions.
Armenia, Gyumri
The post-Soviet space is celebrating a quarter of a century of its actual existence. All this orgy of pseudo-independence cost tens of millions of lives, hitting everyone harder than the Great Patriotic War - a colossal number of people died simply from sharp decline the level of medicine, social assistance and the banal cold in apartments and hunger. They are bashfully silent about this, but the only ones who benefited from the collapse of the Union on its territory are the former communist elites, who in the 90s stole trillions of dollars of Soviet heritage, in exchange for only disembodied talk about imaginary freedoms and the triumph of democracy.
Georgia: Rose Revolution (2003-2004)
Duration: 63 days.
Victims: no.
occasions: accusations of the regime of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR Shevardnadze of falsifying parliamentary elections, corruption and clannishness, the dominance of "thieves" in power; economic difficulties.
On November 2, 2003, the bloc of incumbent President Eduard Shevardnadze "For a New Georgia" was declared the winner in the parliamentary elections on November 2, 2003. OSCE observers recognized the elections as undemocratic. Opposition parties led by ex-Minister of Justice Mikheil Saakashvili, ex-speakers of parliament Zurab Zhvania and Nino Burjanadze joined the protest. Young people from the Kmara (Enough) movement, modeled after the Serbian Otpora, became active participants in the mass rallies in Tbilisi. The conflict escalated sharply by mid-November. In Zugdidi, oppositionists were fired at by unknown people in masks in broad daylight. On November 22, the opposition with roses in their hands broke into the parliament building during the President's speech. Shevardnadze, along with the guards, fled through the "back door", the next day he signed a decree on his own resignation. Saakashvili became the new president.
Consequences: The new government's broad reform program has earned copious praise in the West and a mixed reputation at home. The struggle of the authorities against everyday corruption, the elimination of bureaucratic obstacles and the creation of a new police force were popular with the population. The other side of the coin was Saakashvili's accusations of political repression, building a police state, and authoritarianism. The apotheosis of the scandals was the strange death of Prime Minister Zhvania, the brutal dispersal of an opposition rally in 2007, the torture and abuse of prisoners in the "model" Gldani prison.
The authorities managed to establish control over the Adzharian autonomy, but an attempt to resolve the South Ossetian conflict by military means in 2008 ended in the complete defeat of the Georgian army and navy. Integration into NATO structures, contrary to the wishes of Georgia, did not lead to a NATO Membership Action Plan. The president's image was also harmed by a chaotic personnel policy. In 2012-2013, Saakashvili's United National Movement party lost the parliamentary and presidential elections. Saakashvili himself quarreled with his colleagues in the revolution, after which he left the country to build political career in Ukraine. The Georgian prosecutor's office opened several criminal cases against him, including for embezzlement of budgetary funds, declaring the former leader on the international wanted list.
Ukraine: "orange revolution" (2004-2005)
Duration: 34 days.
The scale of the protests: 70 thousand people.
Victims: no.
Reasons: accusations of the authorities of falsifying the presidential elections in favor of V. Yanukovych, who was perceived as a protege of the Kremlin and incumbent President L. Kuchma; general dissatisfaction with the rule of Kuchma and the scandals associated with it (“the Gongadze case”, etc.); the low standard of living of the majority of the population.
Protest actions in Ukraine began in December 2000, when the first tents appeared on the Maidan (“Ukraine without Kuchma”, “Arise, Ukraine!”). The main opponents in the presidential elections were two former prime ministers - a representative of the Party of Regions Viktor Yanukovych and self-nominated Viktor Yushchenko. In the first round on October 31, both candidates received 39% of the vote; Yushchenko was leading by a few hundredths of a percent. Since Yushchenko was considered a pro-European candidate, by analogy with the pro-Russian Yanukovych, the entire pro-Western opposition rallied around him. The CEC declared Yanukovych the winner of the second round, which took place on November 24. The opposition did not recognize the election results. It was joined by the leaders of the European Union and the United States, as well as Western public opinion. Yushchenko and the leader of the BYuT movement, Yulia Tymoshenko, called on supporters to go on strike and take to the Maidan. In the center of Kyiv, a tent city was formed for many months. Participants wore orange symbols and chanted "Shame!" ("A shame!"). The organization “It's time!” was the driving force behind the youth. With Vladimir Putin congratulating Yanukovych on his "convincing victory", the protests also took on an anti-Russian character. The Supreme Court first banned the CEC from publishing the results of the vote, then ordered a re-run of the second round, in which Yushchenko won.
Duration: 11 days.
The scale of the protests: 50 thousand people.
Victims: 10 killed, 200 wounded.
occasions: accusations of falsifying the presidential election.
Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner of the February 19, 2008 presidential election. Despite the fact that international observers recognized the elections as valid, the opposition, led by Sargsyan's main rival, ex-president in the 1990s Levon Ter-Petrosyan, brought people to the streets. The protesters set up a tent city on Freedom Square and demanded a repeat election. After an intense standoff between the parties, on March 1, the police dispersed the protesters and liquidated the tent city. Ter-Petrosyan was arrested. In the country for 20 days introduced state of emergency. The opposition accused the authorities of using a sniper to disperse their supporters.
Consequences: In February 2013, Serzh Sargsyan was re-elected for a second term. In the autumn of the same year, Armenia officially abandoned European integration, and in 2015 joined the EAEU. Actions of civil disobedience also took place after the events of March 1. The most massive were the rallies of the summer-autumn of 2015.
Kyrgyzstan: "melon revolution" (2010)
Duration: 70 days.
The scale of the protests: 7 thousand people.
Victims: 90 killed, 1600 wounded.
occasions: a sharp increase in utility bills; dissatisfaction with the policy of President K. Bakiyev; economic difficulties.
Consolidated actions of the opposition against the regime of Kurmanbek Bakiyev began after the election of a single leader - ex-Minister of Internal Affairs Roza Otunbayeva. In April 2010, dissatisfied with the authorities seized the building of the regional administration in Talas, the next day, unrest broke out in Bishkek. The oppositionists stormed the television center and went on the air. Bloody clashes with the police followed, in which snipers took part, located on the roofs of administrative buildings. A crowd of Protestants stormed the Parliament, burned the Prosecutor General's Office and attacked the Government House. Having lost control of the situation, Bakiyev fled to Belarus. Power passed to the "transitional technical government" Otunbayeva.
After the change of power in the capital, a night of looting followed; In Osh, ethnic clashes broke out between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz.
Consequences: A new constitution was adopted in a referendum in 2010. Kyrgyzstan has turned from a presidential republic into a parliamentary one. As a result of the referendum in 2016, the position of the Prime Minister was strengthened. In the 2011 elections, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev became president, heading for Eurasian integration.
Ukraine: Euromaidan (2013-2014)
Duration: 93 days.
The scale of the protests: 100 thousand people.
Casualties: 106 killed, 1900 wounded.
Reasons: suspension of the process of European integration by the authorities; accusations of the V. Yanukovych regime of corruption and ties with the oligarchs.
After the government announced the suspension of preparations for the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on November 21, 2013, journalists and supporters of the "European way" through social networks urged people to go to the Maidan. The leaders of the leading opposition parties (Udar, Batkivshchyna, Svoboda) and representatives of the Right Sector nationalist movement quickly joined the rank and file Protestants. On November 30, the division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Berkut" brutally dispersed the protesters. The next day, the Protestants attacked a number of government offices. On the Maidan, they set up a tent camp and began to form hundreds of "Self-Defense". Further attempts by the authorities to liquidate the camp were unsuccessful. The confrontation several times resulted in bloody clashes between the Berkut and the Maidan detachments. On February 21, 2014, through the mediation of European politicians, President Viktor Yanukovych signed an agreement with the opposition to resolve the crisis, after which he fled to Russia and later announced that he had been assassinated. The Verkhovna Rada removed Yanukovych from power. Poroshenko became the new president.
Consequences: not recognizing the change of power in Kyiv, a referendum on independence was announced in Crimea. He was supported by Russia, as a result of which Crimea and Sevastopol became part of Russia. A movement of disobedience to the new authorities began in the Donbass under the flags of the DPR and LPR and Civil War. The Ukrainian economy is in a deep crisis. Most of the legionnaires from the Ukrainian "reform special forces" resigned due to conflicts with other officials. Ukraine has signed an Association Agreement with the EU (not yet fully ratified). Kyiv has not yet been able to achieve a visa-free regime with the European Union.
2016 is a kind of anniversary for the CIS - a quarter of a century of existence. It is difficult to imagine this period without such a phenomenon as “color revolutions”. Portal RuBaltic.Ru decided to recall the national features and common features of these events in the former Soviet Union.
Georgia: Rose Revolution (2003–2004)
Duration: 63 days.
The scale of the protests: 100 thousand people.
Victims: No.
Reasons: regime accusations E. Shevardnadze in the falsification of parliamentary elections, corruption and clannishness, the dominance of "thieves" in power; economic difficulties.
On November 2, 2003, the bloc of incumbent President Eduard Shevardnadze "For a New Georgia" was declared the winner in the parliamentary elections on November 2, 2003. OSCE observers recognized the elections as undemocratic. Opposition parties led by ex-Minister of Justice Mikheil Saakashvili, ex-speakers of parliament Zurab Zhvania and Nino Burjanadze joined the protest. Active participants in the mass rallies in Tbilisi were young people of the Kmara (Enough), a movement modeled on the Serbian Otpora. The conflict escalated sharply by mid-November. In Zugdidi, oppositionists were fired at by unknown people in masks in broad daylight. On November 22, the opposition with roses in their hands broke into the parliament building during the President's speech. Shevardnadze, along with the guards, fled through the "back door", the next day he signed a decree on his own resignation. Elected new president Saakashvili .
Consequences: The new government's sweeping reform agenda earned copious praise in the West and a mixed reputation at home. The struggle of the authorities against everyday corruption, the elimination of bureaucratic obstacles and the creation of a new police force were popular with the population. The other side of the coin was Saakashvili's accusations of political repression, building a police state, and authoritarianism. The apotheosis of the scandals was the strange death of Prime Minister Zhvania, the brutal dispersal of an opposition rally in 2007, the torture and abuse of prisoners in the "model" Gldani prison. The authorities managed to establish control over the Adzharian autonomy, but an attempt to resolve the South Ossetian conflict by military means in 2008 ended in the complete defeat of the Georgian army and navy. Integration into NATO structures, contrary to the wishes of Georgia, did not lead to a NATO Membership Action Plan. The president's image was also harmed by a chaotic personnel policy. In 2012-2013, Saakashvili's United National Movement party lost the parliamentary and presidential elections. Saakashvili himself quarreled with his colleagues in the revolution, after which he left the country to build a political career in Ukraine. The Georgian prosecutor's office opened several criminal cases against him, including for embezzlement of budgetary funds, declaring the former leader on the international wanted list.
Color Revolution in Georgia
Ukraine: "orange revolution" (2004–2005)
Duration: 34 days.
The scale of the protests: 70 thousand people.
Victims: No.
Reasons: accusations of the authorities of falsifying the presidential elections in favor of V. Yanukovych, who was perceived as a protege of the Kremlin and incumbent President L. Kuchma; general dissatisfaction with the rule of Kuchma and the scandals associated with it (“the Gongadze case”, etc.); the low standard of living of the majority of the population.
Protest actions in Ukraine began in December 2000, when the first tents appeared on the Maidan (“Ukraine without Kuchma”, “Arise, Ukraine!”). The main opponents in the presidential elections were two former prime ministers - the representative of the Party of Regions Viktor Yanukovych and self-nominated Viktor Yushchenko. In the first round on October 31, both candidates received 39% of the vote; Yushchenko was leading by a few hundredths of a percent. Since Yushchenko was considered a pro-European candidate, by analogy with the pro-Russian Yanukovych, the entire pro-Western opposition rallied around him. The CEC declared Yanukovych the winner of the second round, which took place on November 24. The opposition did not recognize the election results. It was joined by the leaders of the European Union and the United States, as well as Western public opinion. Yushchenko and the leader of the BYuT movement, Yulia Tymoshenko, called on supporters to go on strike and take to the Maidan. In the center of Kyiv, a tent city was formed for many months. Participants wore orange symbols and chanted "Shame!" ("A shame!"). The organization “It's time!” was the driving force behind the youth. With Vladimir Putin congratulating Yanukovych on his "convincing victory", the protests also took on an anti-Russian character. The Supreme Court first banned the CEC from publishing the results of the vote, then ordered a re-run of the second round, in which Yushchenko won.
Lilac Revolution in Moldova
Armenia: events of March 1 (2008)
Duration: 11 days.
The scale of the protests: 50 thousand people.
Victims: 10 killed, 200 wounded.
Reasons: accusations of falsifying the presidential election.
On February 19, 2008, the Prime Minister was declared the winner of the presidential election Serzh Sargsyan. Despite the fact that international observers recognized the elections as valid, the opposition, led by Sargsyan's main rival, ex-president in the 1990s Levon Ter-Petrosyan, brought people to the streets. The protesters set up a tent city on Freedom Square and demanded a repeat election. After an intense standoff between the parties on March 1, the police dispersed the protesters and dismantled the tent city. Ter-Petrosyan was arrested. A state of emergency was declared in the country for 20 days. The opposition accused the authorities of using a sniper to disperse their supporters.
Consequences: in February 2013, Serzh Sargsyan was re-elected for a second term. In the autumn of the same year, Armenia officially abandoned European integration, and in 2015 joined the EAEU. Actions of civil disobedience also took place after the events of March 1. The most massive were the rallies of the summer-autumn of 2015.
Kyrgyzstan: "melon revolution" (2010)
Duration: 70 days.
The scale of the protests: 7 thousand people.
Victims: 90 killed, 1600 wounded.
Reasons: a sharp increase in utility bills; dissatisfaction with the policy of President K. Bakiyev; economic difficulties.
Consolidated actions of the opposition against the regime of Kurmanbek Bakiyev began after the election of a single leader - ex-Minister of Internal Affairs Roza Otunbayeva. In April 2010, dissatisfied with the authorities seized the building of the regional administration in Talas, the next day, unrest broke out in Bishkek. The oppositionists stormed the television center and went on the air. Bloody clashes with the police followed, in which snipers took part, located on the roofs of administrative buildings. A crowd of Protestants stormed the Parliament, burned the Prosecutor General's Office and attacked the Government House. Having lost control of the situation, Bakiyev fled to Belarus. Power passed to the "transitional technical government" Otunbayeva.
After the change of power in the capital, a night of looting followed; In Osh, ethnic clashes broke out between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz.
Consequences: in a referendum in 2010, a new constitution was adopted. Kyrgyzstan has turned from a presidential republic into a parliamentary one. As a result of the referendum in 2016, the position of the Prime Minister was strengthened. In the 2011 elections, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev became president, heading for Eurasian integration.
Melon revolution in Kyrgyzstan
Ukraine: Euromaidan (2013–2014)
Duration: 93 days.
The scale of the protests: 100 thousand people.
Victims: 106 killed, 1900 wounded.
occasions: suspension of the process of European integration by the authorities; accusations of the V. Yanukovych regime of corruption and ties with the oligarchs.
After the government announced the suspension of preparations for the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on November 21, 2013, journalists and supporters of the "European way" through social networks urged people to go to the Maidan. The leaders of the leading opposition parties (Udar, Batkivshchyna, Svoboda) and representatives of the Right Sector nationalist movement quickly joined the rank and file Protestants. November 30th division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Berkut" brutally dispersed the protesters. The next day, the Protestants attacked a number of government offices. On the Maidan, they set up a tent camp and began to form hundreds of "Self-Defense". Further attempts by the authorities to liquidate the camp were unsuccessful. The confrontation several times resulted in bloody clashes between the Berkut and the Maidan units. On February 21, 2014, through the mediation of European politicians, President Viktor Yanukovych signed an agreement with the opposition to resolve the crisis, after which he fled to Russia and later announced that he had been assassinated. The Verkhovna Rada removed Yanukovych from power. Elected new president Petro Poroshenko .
Consequences: not recognizing the change of power in Kyiv, a referendum on independence was announced in Crimea. He was supported by Russia, as a result of which Crimea and Sevastopol became part of the Russian Federation. A movement of disobedience to the new authorities began in the Donbass under the flags of the DPR and LPR and Civil War. The Ukrainian economy is in a deep crisis. Most of the legionnaires from the Ukrainian "reform special forces" resigned due to conflicts with other officials. Ukraine has signed an Association Agreement with the EU (not yet fully ratified). Kyiv has not yet been able to achieve a visa-free regime with the European Union.
Euromaidan in Ukraine
