'From Modernity to Tradition' by Bureau A

Maidan correspondance

15th January to 26th February

A
hey guys, how are you ? Is Kiev as bad as we see in the infos ? it looks quite scary hope you are ok.

Ø
Thank you, all of us is fine.
It's true the situation is very complicated. If you came here now you don't recognize city center! It's a battlefield.
Each day we are there, a lot of people there! And I hope we have a chance to change situation. In another way we should think about emigration.

Ø
If you know we have 5 dead for now, 2 of them shooted. All west Ukraine rise against. All East part sitting quiet, they frightened. There are  very strong influence of goverment and russian.

A
I hope you are doing fine. I just wrote a message to Sergey on FB concerning an exhibition that we have been invited to participate. It's a show called "Orientations, Young Swiss Architects” and it will present a new generation of architectural practices. 6 offices have been invited – we are one of them. We are seriously thinking about doing something about what's happening in Kiev and how "spontaneous" architecture emerges and is built in this sort of conflictive event. We want to build a sort of a tent made out of the typical shields that the berkut are using for the demonstrations. Inside the tent there would be a film with interviews of Ukrainian people that have lived the events. We would love to work with you guys for this to make interviews of the demonstrators inside the tents of Kiev and to have a better view of what's going on. We would also like to draw all possible devices that are used for the demonstrations and make a book out of this. Seeing your beautiful diagrammatic drawings we also think that this is something you could do with us.

Ø
In ideal way - we need to find real authentic stolen from cops shields. That guys have it on "Maydan", but I don't belive they give it to us a lot. One, maybe few in maximum (because this is not the end of protest). We need to ask.

A
Any possibility to buy them?

Ø
Tomorrow we try to call to the military factory. But could be that the possibility to buy it have only goverment organization or some other restrictions. Tomorrow we will check it.

Ø
Hi! Civilian couldn't buy shields on factory.
We have only one way to renting shields from Maydan. But before I ask there we should know how many we need.
I think a van could work. One shield is 1000x590 mm mass is = 4kg

Ø
Quite a lot. I will ask on the Maydan.

Ø
So I was on Maydan till now, and that the results of today:

1. I was talked with the chief of "Samooborona" (local defense of Maydan), and the deputy of commandant of Maydan. So they both think they could give us 20 shields, result will be today after 23:00, after meeting with the commandant.

2. Interviews. After today I have some news, according to situation in Ukraine, when government send in jail for 15 years a man who has few car tires in his trunk. Nobody knows what happen tomorrow. So not a lot people want to tell on camera that they build barricades or catapult, and I understand them. People afraid questions like "How many people were involved in the building?, What materials were used for the building? Where did you obtain them ?". So now the mood on Maydan os not so good for free talking. But we will try to make maximum possible interviews in our deadlines.

Ø
It's ok,

About shields.  Deputy of commandant, she tell me today that the groups of "local defense of Maydan" don't happy to give they "captured" "berkut" shields. Today she will try to push on the leaders of  "local defense", and after 23:00 she could tell me the result. Thats news.

Ø
Thank you for the letter. She on the meeting now (from 21:00) but I send to her SMS about your letter and how it's important for us. But I really worried about this idea with shields, because now every body think that the police will attack Maydan in monday, nobody knows how it will. I hope we will get it. This girl Deputy Commandant, she is quite adequate, she know about Museum of Basel and I realy hope she help us. Unfortunately I can't be on this kind of meeting.

Ø
This girl, she don't answer me. In half a hour I will call again.

I called to the metall diller company they told me for the list of aluminium 1200x4000 thickness 6mm (for 8 shields) price will be 8720 hrn (across 1000 dollars). It's without cutting in pieces.

Ø
Today is very important day, activation of the protests. All shield in use.

Ø
I was talking with Deputy of commandant. Bad news.

We can't get shields. All police shields in the Ukraine is own to the government. Any transportation even in Ukraine - criminal crime. And from Ukraine too. Even if we get the official letter from Museum and then try to move shields from Maydan we will be out of the law. Because previous owner was not legal. ( shields stolen from "berkut" so...) Thats the situation.

Ø
Military suppliers sell it only for police's and army structures not for civil using. If it was possible then all protesters was used them. I was phoned on that factory last week.
Lets look on the copies.

Ø
it’s now
I go

Ø
yes
i'm only from there
more than 200 wounded
few dead
maydan surrounded now
I'm hardly came in office

Ø
maybe tomorrow maydan will be cleaned

Ø
about 10 armored troop-carrier
cops have fire gun weapon

Ø
we was there - running from cops

Ø
it's online, journalist between maydan troops and cops
yes thanks I'm fine
we try to rest and go

Ø
just now 10 dead shot in head by snipers

Ø
Sorry "They don't give it - this shields save their lives"

Text from the exhibition.