On 2 May 2014 in Odesa, mass clashes took place at Hretska (Greek) Square and Kulikove Pole between supporters of Euromaidan and participants in the “Antimaidan” rally, and a fire broke out in the Trade Unions House. Forty-eight people were killed and more than 200 were injured.
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers is publishing photographs by Oleh Kutskyi, who documented the events in Odesa.
Confrontation
On 2 May 2014, mass clashes began in central Odesa near Hretska (Greek) Square. In the afternoon, at around three o’clock, supporters of the football clubs Metalist and Chornomorets decided to march peacefully through the streets of Odesa under the slogan “For a united Ukraine.” The event brought together nearly two thousand people. At the same time, more than three hundred Antimaidan participants gathered—most of them representing the “Odesa Druzhyna” organization. They planned to move parallel to the march of football fans and Maidan supporters.
The columns intersected near Hretska (Greek) Square. Mass fighting broke out: participants threw pyrotechnics, Molotov cocktails, and stones at one another. Gunshots were even heard during the unrest. As a result of the confrontation, six people were killed by gunshot wounds, and nearby shop windows, bus stops, and cars were smashed.
The confrontation in the city center lasted half a day. At around seven in the evening, clashes between Euromaidan supporters and Antimaidan participants moved to Kulikove Pole. More football fans—who arrived after the match—joined them. An assault on the tent camp near the Trade Unions House began. After the camp was destroyed, more than three hundred people ran into the Trade Unions House building. They ended up trapped there. Participants continued throwing stones and incendiary mixtures at one another, and a fire started in the Trade Unions House. According to the official investigation, 32 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and another 10 died after jumping from windows. Among the victims were 34 men, 7 women, and one underage boy. In total, more than 200 people were injured on 2 May 2014.
Causes and consequences
The outlet Suspilne. Odesa reports that the fire in the Trade Unions House started from wooden barricades near the entrance. To understand what happened that day, journalists and some experts created the “2 May Group,” collecting facts and evidence. Chemist and “2 May Group” expert Vladyslav Bilinskyi explains that the fire later spread to the doors and the central hall, which was packed with wooden pallets, furniture, bottles with incendiary mixture, and also contained a gasoline generator. Flames engulfed the stairwells, including in the rear part of the building. The temperature at the level of the first floor reached 600 degrees, and 200–300 on the stairs. The lobby, Vladyslav explained, effectively became an “oven,” and the stairwell shaft an “exhaust pipe.”
Smoke began to come out through the rear windows, where there were many people. It is convenient to stand there and watch what is happening in the square. For some time the smoke came out freely; people crouched down and moved around inside the building. Later, the gasoline generator’s fuel tank exploded, which triggered the catastrophe.
Today, the Trade Unions House—where the fire and clashes took place on 2 May 2014—is fenced off. It is not possible to enter; a padlock hangs here. The only reminders of those who died in this Trade Unions House are ribbons bearing the words “Eternal memory” and fresh flowers that people bring.
Oleh Kutskyi is an Odesa-based photographic artist and photojournalist, a member of the National Union of Photographic Artists of Ukraine (since 1991; a member from the day the union was established in Ukraine). He was born in 1947 and studied at Odesa State University (Faculty of Biology). He worked as a staff photographer for the Evolution Media agency, contributed to a number of book publications, and has repeatedly presented solo and group exhibitions. He chaired the board of the Odesa regional organization of the National Union of Photographic Artists of Ukraine; he has international recognition and is mentioned, in particular, as an author with the EFIAP distinction.
Worked on this feature:
Topic researcher, text author: Vira Labych
Photo editor: Viacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary editor: Yuliia Futei
