August 21, 1991: People's Council rally

Video from Yaroslav Kendzor's personal archive.

August 21, 1991, Kyiv.

Part one — press conference. On the video: hall, people, presidium; speaking and answering questions; Volodymyr Filenko talks about the chronology of the actions of democratic forces in Ukraine during the August 1991 coup; Oleksandr Yemets about the content of Leonid Kravchuk's telephone conversation with Anatoly Lukyanov, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR; Ivan Drach about the situation in the country, about Lieutenant General Sharikov's desire to meet with the democratic opposition; about the courage of the relevant circles, the military asks for more activity from the Movement; about the preparation of materials for the creation of a law on failure to execute a criminal order; that all military formations of Ukraine should be under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine; calls for talks with servicemen; questions from journalists: about the consequences of the coup for Ukraine, collection of signatures, a speech with a proposal for full independence, about strikes; speech of workers, telling how a mine in Chervonohrad stops working due to a strike and 16 mines in Donetsk; raising the issue of creating a Ukrainian army; about the need for television broadcasting.

Part two — a rally of participants of the People's Council regarding the events taking place in Kyiv and Moscow. On the video: October Revolution Square (now Independence Square), Dmytro Pavlychko, Yaroslav Kendzyor speak, those present sing "Ukraine is not dead yet", chant "Freedom for political prisoners!"; poster "Citizens of Ukraine! Let's defend our sovereignty! The junta to trial!", other speeches.

Comments: leader of the rally, First Deputy Chairman of the People's Council Volodymyr Filenko; Chairman of the Movement Ivan Drach; Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Council of the All-Ukrainian Solidarity of Workers Association Oleg Karpyuk; Chairman of the People's Council Igor Yukhnovsky; People's Deputies Volodymyr Yavorivskyi, Yaroslav Kendzior, Oleksandr Yemets, Les Tanyuk, Kateryna Zavadska, Serhiy Holovatyi, Ivan Valenya, Mykola Brovskyi; Secretary of the Ukrainian Republican Party Oles Shevchenko; Deputy of the Moscow Council Yevhen Gayev; Member of the Presidium of the All-Ukrainian Solidarity of Workers Association Igor Shvets; Deputy Chairman of the Political Council of the Movement Bohdan Ternopilskyi; Representative of the Union of Ukrainian Students Volodymyr Chemerys; Member of the Movement Ivan Zayets; Co-Chairman of the Ukrainian Student Union Oles Donii; Member of the leadership of the Green Party of Ukraine Igor Gavrylov; Leader of the Democratic Party of Ukraine Dmytro Pavlychko.