Family of Euromaidan activist is in search for truth on her killing

Antonina Dvoryanets was one of the first fallen Euromaidan activists killed on 18 February 2014. Antonina was 61, retired, lived in Brovary Kyiv region. Her family members are still trying to find out the circumstances of her death and are searching for possible witnesses.

Recently a short text narrating Antonina’s life, days on Maidan and death was put on a street lamp post by the entrance to Khreshatyk metro station on Instytutska street – the alleged place of her death. The text is a short version of the story that was prepared by a team of Ukrainian journalists as part of Ukrainska Pravda’s “Nebesna Sotnya” (Heaven’s Hundred) project. EMPR herewith quotes the text.

Antonina Dvoryanets
The first woman of the Heaven’s Hundred died on 18 February 2014.

“Maidan used to be her life,” says husband Ivan [Hryhorovych] Dvoryanets remembering Antonina Dvoryanets. They first took part in a protest rally after the students were beaten by riot police (Berkut) at night on 30 November. Later Ivan got back to work and Antonina who was retired went to Maidan almost daily. She was helping in the kitchen at the Trade Unions building, was cleaning the streets and bringing sandwiches from home. Her enthusiasm motivated her neighbors who also joined the movement. Antonina [Hryhorivna] with her husband were on Maidan even on the New Year’s Eve.

Antonina’s body was discovered on one of the barricades on Instytutska street. Her family members managed to find a photographer who told them that he was running next to her towards the barricades on Instytutska street close to the metro station Khreshatyk during the police attack. The woman rushed to protect the men whom the Berkut policemen were beating and got allegedly hit herself. The photographer was hit in the head and fainted. After he regained consciousness he never saw the woman again.

Antonina’s family members still do not know the circumstances or causes of her death. They are still hoping to find the witnesses who would be able to tell them about the last hours of Antonina’s life.

The Dvoryanets couple comes from Chornobyl area. They both worked at the nuclear power plant station and were residing in Chornobyl when the accident occurred at the plant on 1986. They both returned to the area after evacuation as liquidators.

On the New Year’s Eve during Euromaidan Antonina’s daughter Svitlana said: “Yanukovych has no chances if our mother has taken on him.” Her words came true but the price turned to be very high.

EMPR calls on everyone who might have any information on the last hours of life of Antonina Dvoryanets to provide it to her family. Her daughter Svitlana can be contacted at sveta@expert.kiev.ua

Full text of Antonina Dvoryanets’ story published in the framework of the “Heaven’s Hundred” project is available here (in Ukrainian).

Cover photo: Antonina Dvoryanets with husband Ivan. Photo from the family archive provided to the local media “Brovary – you have the right to know” (Mayesh pravo znaty) for an article about Antonina (in Ukrainian)