This thesis examines the Ukrainian revolution (2013-2014) in Kyiv: Where did the discontent come from? What functions did the Maidan (Independence Square) have? What motivated and organised the protesters? What was behind the violence? Ukraine is more diverse than often presented by the media. Discontent comes from two main problems: poor economy and a corrupt elite. Maidan’s physical attributes and ...

Mass protests have been an important part of the political environment in Eastern Europe for more than a century. Since the Russian revolutions of 1905 and 1917, people have turned to urban spaces to make their opinions heard and to demand change, with varying degrees of success. This was most notably the case during the 1960s; and from the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, ...