Pryvit! Druzi!

Tremendous day today. Temperature actually increased to around 40 which made it easy to hang out.

On Khreschatyk we passed a group of guys from Pechenyzhyn a selo not far from Kolomiya where Ola's mother was born. Spoke with them, bought them cigarettes (not exactly a healthy means of support…but something they valued since they said all their other needs are more than adequately met: food, vitamins, etc... They are responsible for the wall of the tent village at the intersection of Prorizna, which is now defended with iron benches in a triangle formation.

Excellent atmosphere on Maydan today, really packed with people despite my fears that the crowd might start thinning out. Saw many fresh arrivals from all over Ukraine. The uproar in Yush.'s speech, when he asked if people are willing to tough it out until complete victory is achieved, was deafening. No fears here. No longer a demonstration… now it's a full blown "movement".

Supreme Court proceedings drag on. Is it me? Or does everyone agree that the procedure is not very understandable. I need a commentator. And what's with the judge using his laptop the whole time? What's on that laptop? We watched what looked like closing arguments from four attorneys on Yush side while eating a chicken grill sandwich at Mr. Snack. Double chicken, double cheese. Pretty convincing arguments (not surprisingly), especially from the attorney that looks like Alan Dershowitz.

Also, after hearing about a Yush. defense force being recruited, I saw evidence of such recruitment tonight. Two men were standing near the central post office with signs like the one in the attached photo: "Sign up for the ranks of the people's defense - per decree of the National Salvation Committee". I spoke with one of them and asked who they were looking for. The answer was anyone under 35 years old with a Ukr. Passport…and healthy. They gather 20-25 volunteers each, mostly young students from what I could tell, and lead them over to Yush. headquarters building for briefings by Yush people.

I didn't think Yush. would speak tonight since nothing that big happened.. but he did do a 40 minute speech (followed by Y. Timoshenko's speech) that got the crowd really psyched. It was educational for me, since he touched on the language and religion issue refuting the propaganda that he will be shutting down Russian speaking schools and churches etc. For example, he explained how all of Europe was amazed by the literacy of Ukrainian people (including selo men, women, and children) as far back as 400 years ago. Bohdan Khmelnitsky spoke seven languages he said…and Anna when marrying the French king signed her full Christian name while the French king signed with an "X" since he didn't know how to write.

He got the crowd excited when he warned the "Shanovna Vlada" that if they use the "hand of strength" on even one of the participants of the "aktsia", they will suffer at the "full strength of our hand". Again a deafening reaction. Tymoshenko went into more practical explanations of tomorrow's plan: VR votes in a law in support of a revote of the second round. Kuchma will have two hours to sign the bill into law. Furthermore, Kuchma signed a document with all the European leaders yesterday saying he is ready to sign such a law. However he has now flipped and is pushing for a full revote from scratch. Timoshenko had a field day with the fact the Kuchma flew to Moscow to confer with Putin. She claimed that he was agreeing with Putin as to who they would propose as a candidate in the new election. Putin also said today that Russia is prepared to help "regulate" the political crisis in Ukraine.

Yush said that he will not consider a revote from scratch sighting an example of an athletic tournament. If the two top teams tie, they have extra time or penalty shots, they don't start the tournament from scratch again. The crowd related.

Hopefully some movement tomorrow.

Petro out.

PS. Today I confirmed with Yush. people that the orange dome tent complex (photo attached to yesterday's email), near the President's Admin. (Ivana Franka theater side) is in fact a field hospital.