Feeding EuroMaidan

When we began the Pickle Project, we began with an idea that the ways in which Ukrainians approach food and sustainability were something to be proud of, something Americans could learn from.  But our 2011 conversations in Kyiv, Donetsk, Odessa and L'viv helped us understand more:  that talking about food, eating together and sharing a meal were fundamentally democratic activities, making us all equal and providing a safe place to share ideas, even with strangers. 

Like many of you who care about Ukraine, I've spent the last two weeks checking out my Facebook feed (for English speakers, check out Euro-Maidan in English on Facebook) reading the Kyiv Post's continous online coverage, and hearing from friends and colleagues in Ukraine about the protests in Kyiv and throughout the country.  And, if you looked closely, even from thousands of miles away,  you could see our beliefs about food made real. 

This post is just to share a few images from the protests in the center of Kyiv, just blocks from where I lived for a few months.  Dozens, if not hundreds, of people (including Miss Ukraine 2013) have stepped up to make sure everyone, even policemen, are fed warm soup or served a cup of tea.  I've read that citizens from Poltava and other locations have sent food, local restaurants have gone into the streets to serve free food, and in the video at the end of the post, Adli from Crimea makes plov.  With all these images, photographers, I've tried to credit you as I can--if I missed you, please let me know.  If you've got more photos to share, please do.

What have I seen?  As you can see here, cold sandwiches of meat and cheese, homemade varenky in a pot carefully wrapped in newspaper to stay warm,  kasha, plov, those boxes of cookies seen in every subway underpass; cups of tea and coffee, and giant cauldrons of borscht, borscht, borscht.  But more importantly, what I've seen is volunteer action, of a kind that is rarely seen in Ukraine.  Incredible to watch.  On this cold night, our hearts are with you.

Images, top to bottom:  Several of these photos are by Vassil Garnisov,  others from Euro-Maidan on Facebook or the Kyiv Post. The image of tea being served to policemen is by Vitalli Sediuk on Twitter.  Video by Babylon13,  who are creating great short video documentaries about EuroMaidan.  You can find others on YouTube.