13 May 2005, Kyiv.

Video recording of a meeting of the Public Humanitarian Council at the Presidential Administration. Council members at a round table, speech by Yanukovych. Among the participants: Ivan Drach, Vasyl Kremen, Bohdan Stupka, Hanna Herman, Valery Bebik, Mykhailo Reznikovich, Olena Franchuk, Serhiy Bubka, Kost Bondarenko, Volodymyr Lytvyn and others.

Reference: The Public Humanitarian Council under the President of Ukraine was established in 2010 by decree of Viktor Yanukovych as an advisory body on humanitarian policy issues — culture, education, science, historical memory and spiritual development. It included well-known figures from the worlds of culture, science and sport, but the council's activities were often criticised for political bias and attempts to influence the state's humanitarian policy.

Public Humanitarian Council

16 May 2011, Kyiv.

The video shows the previous court hearing in the case of Yulia Tymoshenko for exceeding her official powers during the conclusion of gas contracts in 2009. Tymoshenko's supporters and media representatives outside the Pechersky District Court, Yulia Tymoshenko's defence lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko gives comments to journalists, court hearing, Tymoshenko talks to journalists during a break, Judge Galina Suprun reads out the procedural decision.

Background: The 2011 trial against Yulia Tymoshenko concerned her alleged abuse of power during the conclusion of gas contracts with russia in 2009. Tymoshenko allegedly gave instructions to sign agreements which, according to the investigation, caused damage to the state. The case attracted widespread international attention: the seven-year prison sentence was seen as politically motivated, and the defence and international organisations called the trial unfair and biased.

Trial of Yulia Tymoshenko, 2011

On January 16, 2014, Ukraine adopted the "laws on dictatorship", also known as the "Dictatorial Laws of January 16". These laws caused outrage and protests among the population. They were adopted by an exclusive majority in the Verkhovna Rada, without proper discussion or consultation, and restricted citizens' rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and other constitutional freedoms. 

Archival video: voting for the "Dictatorial Laws" in the Verkhovna Rada, battles between Euromaidan protesters and security forces.

There are interviews with Mark Melnyk, a participant of the Revolution of Dignity, Yuriy Ioffe, MP of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, and Nestor Shufrych, MP of the Opposition Platform - For Life party.

Dictatorial laws of January 16, 2014

May 19, 2005, Kyiv.

Video shows a picket by the Party of Regions outside the Verkhovna Rada. Yanukovych supporters with blue and white flags and banners behind the fence, shouting "Yanukovych!", Yanukovych and Taras Chornovil greeting and communicating with people, delivering a speech.

Party of Regions picket outside the Verkhovna Rada

In the video, the program “Off the Record” discusses the signing of trilateral agreements on the elimination of strategic nuclear weapons in Ukraine. 

Reference: On January 14, 1994, Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk, US President Bill Clinton, and Russian President Boris Yeltsin met in Moscow. The three presidents decided to remove nuclear warheads from Ukraine and provide compensation to Ukraine: fuel assemblies for nuclear power plants.

Nuclear disarmament

15 October 2003, Kyiv.

Report on the signing of a memorandum on cooperation between the parliaments of Ukraine and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Meeting of delegations, negotiations, attended by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn and Chairman of the Majlis of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mehdi Karroubi signing the memorandum.

Memorandum between Ukraine and Iran

2004, National Television Company of Ukraine. Part of the telethon "Autumn - 2004. The Choice is Made..." dedicated to the presidential elections of Ukraine. Hosts: Vasyl Byrzul, Maryana Angelova, Olga Taukach.

On the video: studio with guests, stories: 97th electoral district, schoolchildren, inclusion from the Central Election Commission, archival video materials, blitz polls of people on the street. Comments: secretary of the precinct commission Olena Mogilna; chairman of the precinct commission Vyacheslav Koltyk; general director of the company "Global Ukraine" Yuriy Korzh.

Studio guests: editor-in-chief of the weekly "2000" Serhiy Kychigan; People's Deputy of Ukraine Valentyna Semenyuk; political scientist Valery Bebyk; psychologist Volodymyr Kuyevda; People's Deputy Valery Konovalyuk; Vice Prime Minister Ivan Kyrylenko; Minister of Labor and Social Policy Mykhailo Papiev; President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Masters of Public Administration Vasyl Kuybida; President of the Academy Analytical Center Oleksandra Kuzhel.

Telethon "Autumn - 2004. The choice is made..."

December 27, 2004, Kyiv.

On video: speech of the presidential candidate of Ukraine on Independence Square ("Orange Square") during the Orange Revolution; he talks about what Ukrainians should be like, about democracy, thanks those present on the square, prays; speech by singer and activist of the Orange Square Ruslana Lyzhychko.

Speech by Viktor Yushchenko on Independence Square

December 26, 2004, Kyiv.

The plot is dedicated to the last day of the re-voting in the 2004 presidential elections and the comments at the polling station by Leonid Kuchma, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Viktor Yanukovych and Viktor Yushchenko.

In the video: OSCE observers at the polling station, Leonid Kuchma and Lyudmila Kuchma vote; Volodymyr Lytvyn votes with his daughter; Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych and his wife Lyudmila vote, as well as Viktor Yushchenko, who is present with his family.

Comments: former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma; former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Lytvyn; Ukrainian presidential candidates Viktor Yanukovych and Viktor Yushchenko.

Presidential Elections: Leonid Kuchma Votes

Rivne Television, 1997. Program “Current Interview.” Interview with Vyacheslav Chornovil. Discussion about the new election law, communists, and the People's Movement of Ukraine.

At the beginning, there is an advertisement about a confectionery factory.

Vyacheslav Chornovil: Rivne, 1997

Channel One (now Suspilne), 1983. Episode of the program "Leaders' Discussion".

Studio guests — Vyacheslav Chornovil (People's Movement of Ukraine) and Oleksandr Yenets (Democratic Revival Party of Ukraine).

The main topics of the discussion — nation-building, inter-party interaction, political science discourse on the competitiveness and cooperation of political forces in the context of national unity.

The video contains a technical defect.

The program host — political observer Borys Hryvachevsky.

"Leaders' Discussion": About National Unity

A plot from November 14, 2004 about the working trip of the Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to the regions of Ukraine.

On the video: the exhibition "Culture of Ukraine on the Verge of Millennia", museum exhibits; Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych inspects paintings, speech; Luhansk region, Lugantynska mine, Yanukovych inspects the mine, speech; the external territory of the mine, railway tracks, trolleys; Dnipropetrovsk region, Nizhnyodneprovsk pipe rolling plant, workshop, metallurgists; Viktor Yanukovych on the podium in Dnipropetrovsk (now Dnipro) before students and teachers of the National Mining University on the occasion of its 105th anniversary, speech.

Comments: Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych; General Director, Artistic Director of the Lesya Ukrainka National Russian Drama Theater (now the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theater) Mykhailo Reznikovich; Honored Artists of Ukraine Nazariy Yaremchuk Jr. and Dmytro Yaremchuk; Minister of Industrial Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Neustroyev.

Politics