In pictures: Kiev protests captured by a Cambridge student photographer
- Published
Adam Catling, a part-time photography student at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge School of Art, found himself caught up in the protests in Independence Square - also known as as the Maidan - in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, while on a visit with friends to see Chernobyl.
Protesters unhappy with the government of President Viktor Yanukovych set up camp in the square. "Obviously this wasn't happening when we booked our trip, but it hadn't yet turned really nasty by the time we were due to go, so we went ahead with it," Mr Catling said.
His group, all keen photographers, ventured into Independence Square, which was close to their hotel. "Everyone had a weapon, they were living in fear," Mr Catling said. The only English this man knew were the words to Yesterday, by the Beatles, "so we sang that with him," he added.
Mr Catling, who is now back in the UK, said the protesters were "warm and welcoming" towards him. "Amid the madness, this person sat down at this piano in the middle of the protesters' encampment and started playing the most incredible music. This really hit me as an oasis in the middle of madness."
Performers had been keeping the protesters entertained on a stage in the square, from where messages of support were beamed onto nearby buildings.
Mr Catling (left) said about 85% of the demonstrators wore masks to protect their identity. "But they were happy to be photographed and were proud of their set-up with sleeping quarters and cooking facilities. They were even proud to show us the flash grenades they kept under the lid of a barbecue."
"The support for the protesters was incredible," Mr Catling said. "About every hour people would deliver piles of logs to the square so they could keep warm. People just wanted to show their support even if they weren't actually able to join them in the camp."
"This was one of the most basic 'living quarters' I saw, and the sanitation facilities were dreadful. The portable toilets at Glastonbury are an absolute luxury compared to what these people had."
Mr Catling photographed the police line from the safety of a barricade built by the protesters. "A battery-powered spotlight was cast every few minutes over the windows of adjacent buildings checking for police snipers. These protesters live in constant fear," he said.
"Despite everything, people were really trying to keep the place tidy. They used this wrecked car to pile rubbish in because the authorities obviously weren't taking it off the streets," Mr Catling said.
Red Cross workers were seen leaving the square late in the evening. Mr Catling is also an emergency care assistant with the South East Coast Ambulance Service, and a special constable with Cambridgeshire Police. He said he hopes to return to Kiev next week to take more photographs.