Maidan 2013–2014 as a Socio-Political Turning Point: Causes, Course of Protests, and Social Consequences

Volodymyr Kotsiuk; Liudmyla Hutsalo; Ihor Hryhorchak; Anastasiia Havrysh; Olena Stadnyk

doi:10.63931/ijchr.v7iSI1.2.449

Authors

Volodymyr Kotsiuk Khmelnytskyi Cooperative Trade and Economic Institute, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7902-9372
Liudmyla Hutsalo Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University, Zhytomyr, Ukraine. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2627-3520
Ihor Hryhorchak PHEE “European University” https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1935-3485
Anastasiia Havrysh Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University, Zhytomyr, Ukraine. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1913-133X
Olena Stadnyk Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University named after M. Kotsiubynskyi, Vinnytsia, Ukraine. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9554-6975

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63931/ijchr.v7iSI1.2.449

Keywords:

geopolitical consequences, civil society, Euromaidan, national identity, Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine

Abstract

The article analyzes the 2013–2014 Revolution of Dignity as a decisive moment in Ukraine’s modern history, shaping its political development, national identity, and European orientation. The study applies a multi-method approach, including historical-comparative analysis, the examination of official documents, online sources, and scholarship by Ukrainian and foreign authors. This enables tracing continuity between earlier civic movements – the Revolution on Granite, the Orange Revolution – and the Revolution of Dignity as sequential stages of democratic transformation. The findings show that although the immediate trigger was the refusal to sign the EU Association Agreement, the deeper causes of the protests were systemic corruption, authoritarian tendencies, and the concentration of power. The Revolution revitalized civil society, strengthened Ukraine’s European course, and marked a clear break with Soviet-imperial stereotypes. The conclusions emphasize that the Revolution of Dignity was not only a domestic protest but also a geopolitical event that redefined Ukraine’s role in Europe, accelerated decommunization, reinforced attachment to national symbols, and highlighted the European path as the safeguard of sovereignty.

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