History Film / WinterOnFire

''Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom'' is a 2014 film directed by Evgeny Afineevsky.

It is a documentary about the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromaidan Euromaidan]]" protests of November 2013-February 2014 in Kyiv, UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}. Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, widely seen as pro-UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}, withdraws at the last moment from an agreement to join UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion. Instead, he pursues an agreement with Russia and its president UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin.

Outrage over this amongst pro-EU and anti-Russian Ukrainians leads to protests in Kyiv's central square, Maidan Nezalezhnosti ("Independence Square"). The anti-government rallies are initially relatively small scale, but an attack on November 30 by government security forces backfires and increases support for the protesters. As the protests grow in size and protesters continue to occupy the square through the new year and into February 2014, government police and paramilitary forces (notably the pro-Russia Berkut) become more aggressive, eventually firing live bullets at the protesters. Meanwhile, the protests widen in scope, as opposition builds to Yanukovych, government corruption, and Russian influence in Ukraine.

It is a documentary about the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromaidan Euromaidan]]" protests of November 2013-February 2014 in Kyiv, UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}. Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, widely seen as pro-Russian, withdraws at the last moment from an agreement to join UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion. Instead, he pursues an agreement with UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} and its president UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin.

Outrage over this amongst pro-EU and anti-Russian Ukrainians leads to protests in Kyiv's central square, Maidan Nezalezhnosti ("Independence Square"). The anti-government rallies are initially relatively small scale, but an attack on November 30 by government security forces backfires and increases support for the protesters. As the protesters continue to occupy the square through the new year and into February 2014, government police and paramilitary forces become more aggressive, eventually firing live bullets at the protesters. Meanwhile, the protests widen in scope, as opposition builds to Yanukovych, government corruption, and Russian influence in Ukraine.

* SpiritualAntithesis: The direct opposite of Creator/OliverStone's ''Ukraine on Fire'', which is vehemently pro-Russian narrative against Ukraine, portraying the 2014 revolution as a US-backed nationalist coup.

* {{Undercrank}}: The security cam footage of Yanukovych hurriedly leaving the city by helicopter. Apparently it was time-lapse footage, which is sped up in the movie, giving the movements onscreen a strange jerky quality.

It is a documentary about the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromaidan Euromaidan]]" protests of November 2013-February 2014 in Kyiv, UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}. Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, widely seen as pro-Russian, withdraws at the last moment from an agreement to join the European Union. Instead, he pursues an agreement with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin.

* GondorCallsForAid: During [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11_December_2013_Euromaidan_assault#Bells_of_the_Maidan an assult]] by the ''Berkut'' into the Maidan, the struggle became literally a push of bodies- Berkut against protestors- to see which side could force the other out of the Square. The bellringer Ivan Sydor asked for and was granted permission from the Bishop to sound all the bells in the tower at once to call more people into the streets and join the struggle.[[note]]Ivan received the Ukrainian Order of Merit for his actions. The only other time all the bells have been rung at once? During the Mongol invasion.[[/note]]

* GondorCallsForAid: During [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11_December_2013_Euromaidan_assault#Bells_of_the_Maidan an assult]] by the ''Berkut'' into the Maidan, the struggle became literally a push of bodies- Berkut against protestors- to see which side could force the other out of the Square. The Bishop of Saint Michael's Cathedral gave permission to the bellringer to sound all the bells in the tower at once to call more people into the streets and join the push.[[note]]The only other time all the bells have been rung at once? During the Mongol invasion.[[/note]]

* GondorCallsForAid: During an initial push by the ''Berkut'' into the Maidan, the struggle became literally a push of bodies- Berkut against protestors- to see which side could force the other out of the Square. The Bishop of Saint Michael's Cathedral gave permission to the bellringer to sound all the bells in the tower at once to call more people into the streets and join the push.[[note]]The only other time all the bells have been rung at once? During the Mongol invasion.[[/note]]

* OhCrap: A massive one by the Opposition leaders trying to get the crowds to disperse with promises of new elections- in six months. The people know that Yanukovich can easily go back on his word, that many of them will be arrested [[ReleasedToElsewhere or worse]], and that they may not gather in these numbers again. THEN a member of the army takes the stage, seizes the microphone, and announces the army is with the people and want to march on the government if their demands aren't met. The look on the Opposition leader sells it- he's lost control and these people all suspect him of selling his soul to Yanukovich.

* StateSec: The ''Berkut'' units come across as effective troops, especially when their brutality is shown on camera. Originally founded after the collapse of the USSR as a kind of SWAT unit charged with fighting TheMafiya, the ''Berkut'' became associated with corruption and authoritarianism up until their disbandment after the Revolution.

* ShortTitleLongElaborateSubtitle: ''Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom''

* ADogCalledDog: The central square in Kyiv where the protests take place is called Maidan Nezalezhnosti, "Independence Square". However, everyone in the city calls it simply "Maidan", or "Square".