2014: Some Moments of the Kharkiv Spring

2014: Some Moments of the Kharkiv Spring

Author	Arsen Avakov
Language	English, Ukrainian, Russian
Subject	2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
Genre	Memoirs
Publisher	Folio Publishing House
Publication date	December 29, 2020
Media type	Print (hardcover), e-book, audiobook
Pages	288 pp.
ISBN	978-966-03-9436-0

2014: Some Moments of the Kharkiv Spring is a non-fiction book by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (2014–2021) Arsen Avakov, published in 2020 by Kharkiv-based Folio Publishing House. The author, speaking from a first-person perspective, recounts the takeover of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building by pro-Russian separatists and Russian militants. Avakov personally oversaw the anti-terrorist operation's progress in the Kharkiv region and played a role in its operational management during the night of April 7–8, 2014. Furthermore, the book offers an analysis of the underlying factors contributing to the pro-Russian unrest and mass demonstrations in the Kharkiv Oblast, as well as the events in eastern Ukraine during the spring of 2014.

The book has an interactive interface - the text is accompanied by QR codes that allow access to media publications and audio recordings of separatist negotiations intercepted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Additionally, the book includes the publication of the "Plan for Kharkiv and the Oblast," a document that was intercepted from the emails of pro-Russian separatists along with their Russian overseers. This document outlines the Putin regime's intentions to take control of Ukraine, which involve "the establishment of a unified pro-Russian Ukraine in the long-term strategic outlook through the annexation of its regions (initiating with the Kharkiv Oblast) and the establishment of 'people's republics' within these areas, ultimately integrating them into a federal state."

Background

The book 2014: Some Moments of the Kharkiv Spring was authored by Arsen Avakov, who assumed the role of Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine following the success of the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine in 2014.

Avakov served as one of the commandants of the Euromaidan in Kyiv and assumed leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine during the initial post-revolutionary period. He also held a position as a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. Avakov played a pivotal role among the political figures who were responsible for making strategic decisions during the early days, months, and years of Russian military aggression against Ukraine.

As per the author, the process of writing the book was lengthy and arduous. The author's intention extended beyond simply narrating the tale of the initial triumph in the hybrid war. He aimed to capture the atmosphere and intensity of those months, days, and hours, while also seeking to understand the events in Kharkiv within the broader context of the nation. The author aimed to analyze the intricate external and internal political dynamics both within Ukraine and in the surrounding geopolitical landscape.

During the period marked by heightened socio-political tensions in the eastern regions of Ukraine, widespread protests in the South-Eastern regional centers, and a surge in the seizure of administrative buildings by pro-Russian separatists, acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov made the decision to dispatch key officials. Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, was sent to Luhansk, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Parubiy, was dispatched to Donetsk, and First Deputy Prime Minister, Vitaliy Yarema, was assigned to Donetsk. Meanwhile, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Arsen Avakov, was tasked with overseeing the situation in Kharkiv.

Consequently, separatists and Russian proxy militias successfully took control of power in Luhansk and Donetsk. In contrast, Kharkiv was successfully defended and restored under the authority of the legitimate state administration.

Arsen Avakov personally took part in the decision-making process regarding the operation to storm the captured Kharkiv Regional State Administration building, working closely with the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to formulate the operation plan and oversee its execution.

The personal experiences of someone actively involved in the events, the decision-making process, and the events that unfolded served as the foundation for the documentary book.

Furthermore, as the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Avakov had access to a wealth of documents, including email exchanges and audio intercepts involving pro-Russian separatists. These materials have been included in the book in their unaltered state, serving as documentary evidence of the events that transpired. The book encompasses a chronicle of the events that unfolded during the spring of 2014 as reported by both Ukrainian and Russian media. Additionally, it contains personal recollections from Kharkiv residents and a comprehensive photographic record of the period.

Contents

The book is a compilation of documents and direct accounts from participants and eyewitnesses of the events that unfolded in Kharkiv, spanning from the late February to April 8, 2014.

The reader is immersed in the informational context of that period as they read news headlines and become acquainted with the firsthand accounts of Kharkiv residents who directly witnessed the events. These individuals, due to their civic involvement and the nature of their roles, were consistently present in the heart of the confrontations within Kharkiv. The direct accounts are presented in the distinctive style of each author, without literary alterations, thus conveying the unfiltered emotions and sentiments of the individuals involved.

The co-authors of the book were Kharkiv residents:

• Inna Petrykova, journalist, photo correspondent, and press secretary for the 125th Battalion of the 113th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade;
• Yevheniia Levinshtein, volunteer and co-founder of the Kharkiv Station (NGO to assist internally displaced persons);
• Father Viktor (Marynchak), rector of the St. John Church, theologian of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU);
• Oleksiy Mirer, interpreter who worked with foreign journalists in Kharkiv in spring 2014.

Only after being informed by media and influenced by the emotional accounts of eyewitnesses does the reader become acquainted with the author's memoirs. These memoirs are an honest account of the author's personal assessment of the situation in Kharkiv in April 2014, including the necessity and reasons behind conducting an anti-terrorist operation, the planning and execution of the storm on the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building, which had been seized by separatists and Russian militants, and the subsequent outcomes. Furthermore, the author provides an in-depth analysis of the overall situation in the southeast of the country during the spring of 2014, offers retrospective commentary on these events from the perspective of 2020, marking the seventh year of the Russian war against Ukraine. The author also evaluates the role and significance of the Russian proxy army, which ultimately led to a full-scale military aggression on February 24, 2022.

The accounts of eyewitnesses are corroborated by a photographic chronicle compiled from images captured by renowned photographers in Kharkiv during the depicted period. Each photograph is meticulously credited with the photographer's name, date, and the specific circumstances under which it was taken.

The photo section is divided into three distinct thematic segments, with each one presenting a comprehensive narrative on its own:

• Kharkiv. Anxious Spring 2014: Euromaidan and Anti-Maidan, portraits of participants, slogans, events;
• Kharkiv. March 1, 2014: the so-called "peaceful rally of patriotic Kharkiv residents", which ended with the first storming of the building of the *Kharkiv regional administration and the beating of Euromaidan activists;
• Kharkiv. Spring. Victory: the events of April 6, 7, 8, 2014, the last seizure of the building of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration by pro-Russian separatists, the attempt to declare the "KhPR", the storming of the building, the detained terrorists.

The book is concluded with a set of annexes, which include an intercepted email obtained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, containing the "Plan for Kharkiv and the region," and five audio intercepts of telephone conversations involving terrorists. All of these audio intercepts are presented in both text form and linked with QR codes (accessible through electronic format), enabling readers to access the original recordings on YouTube for listening.

The book provides answers to the most crucial questions surrounding the origins of pro-Russian unrest in the South-East of Ukraine. It delves into the prevailing mood and socio-political situation in Kharkiv, explores the role of local authorities, and seeks to understand why it was possible to maintain Ukrainian state control in Kharkiv while facing difficulties in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Reception

Colonel-General of Militia Serhiy Husarov, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (2003–2005), Rector of the National Academy of Internal Affairs (2008–2010), Rector of the Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs (2012–2015), People's Deputy of Ukraine of the V and VI convocations, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine (2010) notes that:

The book 2014. Moments of Kharkiv Spring holds a vital and indispensable role in ensuring that these events are not forgotten, allowing both the current generation and those in the future to comprehend their history and cherish their nation. The selection of the venue for the book's presentation was deliberate, as the defense of this building played a pivotal role in the struggle to preserve Kharkiv as a Ukrainian city. The launch event was graced by the presence of regional state administration officials, the regional council, law enforcement agencies, individuals who were actively involved in the events, and the co-authors of the book. As they delved into their recollections, they were transported back to those tumultuous and uneasy days in the spring of 2014. The prevailing theme was one of relief: they were grateful that it all concluded the way it did, with the successful defense of Kharkiv and, by extension, Ukraine. Towards the conclusion of the presentation, the book's author underscored once more the crucial contributions of the caring residents of Kharkiv, as well as the unwavering commitment of law enforcement representatives who upheld their oaths, effectively thwarting the "KhPR" at its inception. The Jaguar special unit played a decisive role in bringing the anti-terrorist operation to a successful conclusion. The Minister extended his gratitude to the operatives, investigators, and members of the judiciary who saw this case through to its logical end. Arsen Avakov notably emphasized that the plan to establish the "KhPR" was ultimately thwarted due to the strong pro-Ukrainian sentiments of Kharkiv residents. The author of the book, who directly led the anti-terrorist operation in the Kharkiv region and supervised the liberation of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, which had been seized by separatists, humbly refrains from highlighting his substantial role. Nonetheless, we all recognize the historical significance of our fellow countryman, Arsen Avakov, who was the Minister of Internal Affairs then and remains so today, in these pivotal events.

Oleksiy Haran, a political scientist at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the research director of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, believes that "the release of the book about the events of 2014 is another signal for Volodymyr Zelenskyy" and also notes that "Avakov's activity is quite controversial. But in 2014 he played a positive role. Including in the creation of volunteer battalions, in the reaction to the "Russian spring" in Kharkiv. It should be acknowledged that Avakov then oriented himself on how to better organise and fight back".

Ukrainian literary critic and journalist Kostyantyn Rodyk in his review in the daily information and political newspaper Ukraina Moloda notes that "Arsen Avakov always has an intrigue up his sleeve. His next book is about the reasons for the governing organisational chaos of the first month after the Revolution of Dignity. And about the first victory in the Russo-Ukrainian war (which before Ilovaysk was not yet perceived as such): the brutal storming of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration in the early morning of 8 April 2014".

Edition

The book 2014: Moments of Kharkiv Spring was published by Folio Publishing House (Kharkiv) in December 2020. The book is published in three languages: Ukrainian, Russian (in the book's abstract: Slobozhanian), and English. The book is available in paper and electronic form.