'Ukrainian Protester in Battle Gear'

A pro-western Ukrainian protester is shown in full battle gear before

Mondays clashes with the Ukrainian authorities over EuroMaidan,

Kyiv's city center which had been taken over by protesters since

November 21 and had been mostly peaceful for about a month until

Monday. This photo taken for photographic/documentary values, not

for advocacy. Your ratings, critiques and observations of almost any

sort are invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly, very critically,

or wish to make a remark, please submit a helpful and constructive

comment regarding this photo; please share your photographic

knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks. john

I am a photographer.

I am neutral in Ukraine's disputes.

They are for Ukrainians, not me. 

I take photos for photographic/documentary values, not for advocacy, as I do not take sides. 

I have strong views about politics in my home country, the USA, and am vigorous about expressing them and only them.

I am very sad whenever anyone loses their life from any side, especially if it could be avoided, but avoidance is an issue for others to decide, not me.

Please do not try to draw me into a discussion of politics regarding this photo, as I will not discuss them.

john

John (Crosley)

Media outlets, please be advised.

This photo and all my photos are copyrighted.  This is copyright

© 2014, John Crosley/Crosley Trust, All rights reserved, No reproduction or other use without express prior written permission from copyright holder.

If you wish to use this photo or any other regarding Ukraine, please contact me for terms, or you may use according to the terms of the current ASMP payment chart, if time is of the essence, and notify me at jcrosley@photo.net, and remit payment promptly at a place I shall designate in USD.

I am a former photographer, writer and editor of Associated Press.

john

John (Crosley)

The color version of this (one version) is posted in-line (without the same crop).

Same copyright restrictions (and exception for those media outlets under time constraints) apply.

Additional sizes and resolutions are available; contact me at e-mail given.

john

John (Crosley)

I was struck by this guy -- first guy I saw one day when I came to the encampment by Metro.

Incredibly the downtown Metro opened right in the middle of the encampment, even behind one set of barricades next to an open McDonald's (which was barricaded on the side, but thoughtfully NOT barricaded on the back so trucks (thoughtfully) could service this one from the rear, thus enabling it to keep open.  This McD's and others in Kyiv like those in Russia are reliable and very well thought of fast food restaurants that serves much better food than any US McDonald's with NO warming ovens, just fresh-cooked food from grill to bun and to customer -- no issue of 'old food' that's tough and stale.

Even protesters apparently thought of 'good will' in allowing that central meeting point to stay open, and nearly all the businesses on fashionable Kreshatyk street were open, it seems, even though the front was barricaded, but the main barricade was down the street around the giant 'Independence Square' park, on both sides of Kreshatyk Street/Boulevard, which is shut for pedestrian traffic (all six or eight lanes) on weekends for a park-like atmosphere.

Two days ago, most of its length was lined with tents; television overnight shows many of the tents apparently burning, but it's indistinct, so I cannot tell for sure until I see myself. 

Please see my comment to Meir Samel under the photo of the lone protester shown full length standing in Maidan (Independence Square) in my 'New' folder. 

Part of Maidan is directly over a very significant shopping center, too!  I presumed it had been closed, but didn't venture to look; there was some underground access to the tunnels below where there might have been access, but I cannot climb steps right now due to an accident, and there was more than enough to see (and two very sore legs/knees/hips from that accident in Jan.).

All I know about what happened Monday is what I read in the New York Times, the Kyiv Post and see on live feed; otherwise you are as well informed as I, plus I read the US Ambassador's twitter feed, which I found informative.

I won't repeat it here.

The Metro was shut down at 4:30 p.m. yesterday, and I don't know if it will be open Tuesday, as it was due to be opened already.  I don't have television; just the Internet.

I concentrate on taking 'art' photographs; I gave up taking news photographs decades ago.

Somehow, the 'news' just keeps creeping up on me when I am not seeking it out . . . . however.

But I'd rather be taking photos that NO ONE ELSE IS TAKING, rather than photos that the whole world knows by heart, even if those photos are emblematic.

Thanks for the endorsement.

john

John (Crosley)

When I was there, the encampment was a model of peace, order, efficiency and good will.

However, there was an undercurrent; too many people, too earnest and apparently some of the younger people went on an excursion Monday morning with disastrous results.

See (as above) comment I made to Meir Samel today under my last photo in my 'New' folder (lone demonstrator in front of a tent atop Maidan -- which interestingly is atop a major shopping center.)

I only know what I learn from the media.

I used to take quarters within one block of all the goings on, and that would have been more than exciting, but it was more expensive, and one day an insurance company breeched its promises to me, so I had to give up an incredibly lucrative (to me) lease in a very historic building.  The Werner Von Braun of Soviet rocketry, (once unknown to the West except by reputation) used to live in that building -- he who put up the first Sputnik (I think) and so much else -- Koryolov -- a Ukrainian when Ukraine was a Soviet Republic -- who later lived mainly in Moscow.  For a long time his identify was kept a 'state secret' I believe until far later; at one time there was a commemorative plaque on the building in his name, now removed.

Whenever the police gathered for a demonstration/crowd control, their buses parked in front of that flat in a roundabout  (but not for Monday's goings on -- they were a different direction, according to the Kyiv Post.

Best to you, Jim, and thanks.

I doubt I'll be poking in the embers; I got shot once and it HURTS!

And war sucks!

john

John (Crosley)

Great documentary of a dramatic situation! Well done!

Thank you so much.

My days of covering riots and wars are passed by many decades, but I still seem to be able just to drop by and pull something interesting out, even if I am missing being in the midst and targeted possibly by Molotov cocktails, bullets, blazing barricades and armored personnel carriers (also blazing, I read in the press), the flash grenades, and riot police and protesters beating each other on their opponents' and their opponents' helmets and shields shields, until the blood flows, mayhem everywhere, with everyone chasing everyone else, murder (or something near it) in their eyes, carried away by the moment, and death, real honest to gosh death.

Final death.

Among the famously peaceful Ukrainian people, a most gentle people.

 I retired from that life four decades ago, went to law school, practiced law for nearly two decades before moving on to other things only to revive my interest in (non-news) photography seriously a decade ago, only rarely taking photos in the long interim until a decade ago, but never forgetting my instincts for behaving in the crowd and for self-preservation, which I learned in hostile streets, during race riots, during campus riots,  and during war.

I lived through all of those and wish to continue living. 

I predicted 'the sweep' to a bystander from London, a serious photographer who thought everything was 'safe' and 'calm'  (see my remark to Meir Samel, under a photo of a lone protester, full body in my 'New' portfolio), and hoped it would not be so, because you can't restore lives like you can sore and injured bodies.

Death is forever.

I know enough to stay away, and in any case, the news corps has not counted me as a member for over 40 years.

I am a nonpartisan photo artist who just occasionally happens to intersect with newsworthy events from time to time, bringing my instincts with me, and my instincts tell me to 'stay away'.

Also, I was recently injured in in an auto accident anyway, so I am barely ambulatory.

I've been shot, medivacced from Viet Nam (separate things), been in and covered numerous race and campus riots, been in riot police sweeps, and strangely or maybe intelligently, riot police always seemed when I was a youthful photographer to sweep right past me because I always presented no threat, they could see that I was neutral and not only did not take sides, but did not hinder them, so they targeted the partisans including partisan photographers (often pretargeted) and then cameras, lenses, heads, and bodies always were broken by batons, but I always was unscathed in those moments in my '20s before I went to law school.

That ended my first incarnation as a photographer ended, seeming I thought, forever, only for me to return a decade ago on finding Photo.net as a place to find an audience for the photography I found I loved AND a worldwide audience that showed appreciation for my non-news photography.

But I love taking photos safely, and this photo was taken on a calm day with no opposition in sight. 

 It is an 'art' study.

I grew up near the Asian Arts Museum of the University of Oregon.

It's amazing how much this fighting gear (probably began as cold weather gear), resembles the fighting gear of ancient Japanese warriors that was on display in that museum, which I would from time to time inspect when I was a youth and marvel at the difference in cultures -- especially the resemblance of the face mask.  (And of course, -- in passing -- the fighting costumes were so tiny, as Medieval Japanese warriors, like their European counterparts were very, very short, so the battle costumes were quite small and short as well.

The resemblance between those oriental fighting costumes and this one is uncanny, and that's part of why I treat this partly as an 'art' project, with the aim at first given time to collect enough of such photos to make a collection to turn them into an exhibition, if I had time, but sadly there is no more time left for peaceably doing so.

I'm far away from the center, the Metro's shut down ostensibly on account of 'terrorist threats' but originally announced to prevent reinforcements for protesters . . . . and it's anybody's guess when that fabulous Metro will run again.

In fact, I'm completely in the dark; no television, just the Internet with worldwide coverage, live streaming of events, and a poor understanding of Ukrainian and Russian, which prevents me from having a complete understanding of local (Kyiv) events.

I'm an observer, therefore, but an incomplete one, and reliant on outside sources for opinions and news, so I express none of my own; I'm neutral.

I don't pretend to be a newsman or news photographer; that ended almost half a century ago.

But I hope I have a very good understanding of what makes a good (and timely) photo.

Thanks for the kind words on this photo. 

I hope you respect that I am neutral in this entire matter -- it's an internal Ukrainian matter, and I'm an outsider so I have no standing and express no opinions.

john

John (Crosley)

I should have known you would be where the action is, John.

--Lannie

I hate to disappoint my followers, Lannie . . .

Many have wondered why I have spent much time in Ukraine photographing in Ukraine.

Not only are Americans very welcome, the women very pretty, the people live on the street and are demonstrative there, but for all its richness and its poor citizenry (for the most part), I saw Ukraine as the fulcrum of any potential (then) struggle between spheres of influence between the EU--West and Russia.

I try to remain neutral in what I write, but I abhor indiscriminate killing of citizens.

The Ukrainians are a noteworthy peaceable people, but when they've had enough, they've had enough.  It takes a lot to push them into a corner, but when they do . . . . stand back and watch them.

Nevertheless, Ukraine is divided into two spheres, East and West and I've spent considerable time in both -- years, in fact, off and on.  The East tends to side with the Russian sphere and the West with the EU--West sphere.

I'm holding my breath about whether the current truce will hold; the Parliament-- the news said -- decriminalized the law that held the former President, Yulia Tymoshenko, in prison, a potent political force, who has spent years in a penitentiary, possibly paving the way for her release, and ultimately her return to active political involvement and maybe power.

She's from Dnipropropetrovsk, traditionally allied with the East, but she's a powerful foe of the current leader.

We'll wait and see, and I'll be very careful. 

Thanks for the comment.

john

John (Crosley)

This frightening image so sharply tells the story of the conflict no matter what your position. It makes me think of radiation, Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter to mention a few. Very powerful image in a very difficult situation. The tension between what appears to be eyelash make-up and this mask is dramatic. Real people pulled-into unreal situations.

This image led me to your portfolio and after viewing it I feel very unqualified to offer a "critique" to you other than to say your work is wonderful.

Thanks for posting this.

It sometimes can take less than 20 seconds to see, visualize, pose and take a photo like this in a formal manner as I did, and sometimes even a second or less with other less formal photos.

I take lots of photos, show them as I move about to lots of people, and usually as my day progresses, know the photos that appeal most to a common 'street audience' as I use my better photos, (shown on the back of my camera) to illustrate what type of photos I am capable of taking to entice reluctant subjects to allow me 'in close' to take their photos or into their groups and to let them know I'm a serious shooter.

Interestingly, when posted, this photo got almost no notice here, or elsewhere where it was posted, but events have now overtaken it.  Taken during time of relative calm, I recognized the potential I saw, and that the man and the headgear had a purpose, the purpose was serious and not just for theater, and further the man inside was completely serious, almost certainly to the point of risking his life.

I attempted to portray that seriousness, and your comment suggests I have done just that.  I thank you for letting me know I've achieved that goal. 

As of this writing, the hated president has fled his multi-million dollar complex, built with money protesters say was taken by corruption. 

Imprisoned former president Yulia Tymoshenko now has now been freed, the parliament (Rada) is right now set to vote this minute on 'accepting the resignation' of the president who fled in a group of four helicopters at 2:00 a.m. this morning' under threat of a 10:00 a.m. attack by 'conservative' fighters who threatened to invade, and he had lost his majority in the house of representatives, who have been deserting his Party of Regions.

Despite conservatives and firebrands, it appears a substantial number of Ukraine residents from all walks of life, from students to pensioners, backed the revolt (now revolution, since those who win get to call it a revolution).

We find that those who charged the bullets included even young lawyers from various parts of Ukraine, teachers, etc., whose professions range through a variety of occupations from various parts of Ukraine (especially Western Ukraine) who one would not ordinarily think of as revolutionaries, and who now are being treated (by the huge throngs at Maidan -- the center of Kyiv -- Independence Square) as heroes.

The Ukrainians are a most peaceable people, and they are tough to back into a corner, but the vast majority identify with 'middle class' even though economically only about 15% do, and that did not square with aligning the country with Russia, according to polls I have read. 

Of course the disparity in polling reflected a certain hope and aspiration, and it's few Ukrainians I have met (and I've spent years in the East and the West) that do not express an envy, wish, or a longing to live in Western Europe or the United States, and many, many have relatives who -- they will quickly remind the foreigner from the US -- who live in the US, naming the city or city where their friend(s) or relatives reside -- and one from the U.S. becomes almost an 'instant friend' or 'instantly friendly' with such people as they project their own aspirations on Americans they meet.

Ukrainians have been a long-suffering people, and in the Soviet Empire and otherwise long were treated as being 'second best', an attitude which has entered in part the national psyche, according to many analysts, but they also are a proud people, hard working and friendly, blessed with a new nation, and in the words of one patriotic American founder, owners of a new nation, a democracy, 'if you can keep it'.

It seems they are trying hard to do just that, despite their long-suffering nature.

Best to you.

john

John (Crosley)