Andriy Parubiy, the leader of Euromaidan, has stepped away from politics, but remains an enemy for the Kremlin.

On August 30, Ukrainian politician Andriy Parubiy was shot dead in Lviv. During the Euromaidan of 2013–2014, he held the positions of commandant of the tent camp and head of the “Maidan Self-Defense.” From 2016 to 2019, he was the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. Journalist Konstantin Skorkin, in an article for Carnegie Politika, analyzes the assessment of Parubiy’s figure in Ukraine and Russia.

The murder of one of the Maidan leaders, Andriy Parubiy, ten years ago would have caused a huge resonance. Today, it looks more like settling scores with a retired politician who once played an important role.

For Moscow, Parubiy remained a symbolic figure from whom the Kremlin’s favorite narrative line about Nazis seizing power in Kyiv began. His death correlates with an attempt to rethink the events of 2014 when Russia lost control over Ukraine. In the perception of the Russian leadership, Parubiy and his voters from the “Kyiv junta” continue to influence Ukrainian politics.

Who is Parubiy

Parubiy entered politics at the turn of the 80s–90s, becoming part of the first wave of post-Soviet nationalists from Western Ukraine. He was born in the Lviv region and oriented himself towards the ideology of the interwar OUN. His first steps in politics were associated with the restoration of graves of OUN-UPA participants and participation in anti-communist rallies, for which he was arrested in 1989.

In the early 1990s, Parubiy became one of the founders of the Social-National Party, which later transformed into the more respectable “Svoboda.” However, he chose a career in Viktor Yushchenko’s “Our Ukraine,” although he still retained street fighting skills.

During the Maidans, he commanded tent camps, and later, in the Verkhovna Rada, participated in fights with pro-Russian colleagues. In 2014, the victory of the Maidan brought him to a high level of politics: he became the secretary of the NSDC, responsible for countering pro-Russian separatists.

In the 2014 parliamentary elections, Parubiy was elected as a deputy from the “People’s Front” party and took the post of speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. However, his career declined with the rise to power of Volodymyr Zelensky in the spring of 2019, when Parubiy ceased to actively participate in political life.

Forgotten Leaders

Parubiy’s political fate reflects the general picture of Maidan leaders leaving the forefront. Over the past decade, almost all of them have left active politics, failing to create an effective opposition. Oligarchic structures incorporated many of them in the first post-revolutionary five years, but in 2019, the wave of elite renewal swept away the remnants of the old guard.

Only Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv since 2014, remained afloat. The others — Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleh Tyahnybok — gradually disappeared from the horizon of Ukrainian politics. Former acting president Oleksandr Turchynov also lost his influence, and Serhiy Pashynskyi ceased participation in parliament and is under investigation.

The Kremlin and Maidan

The murder of Parubiy in Lviv raises questions about his political past, generating various versions of what happened. Indeed, when there was an attempt on his life in 2014, it could be explained by his status at that time. The question of who needs him now remains open.

Parubiy requested protection, but the authorities refused. There are rumors of possible criminal connections and conflicts among the far-right, as well as the fear of Zelensky’s team confronting such a well-known organizer.

The most likely version is related to the “hand of Moscow.” Security forces announced the arrest of the alleged killer, recruited by the FSB, but the suspect himself claims he wanted to take revenge on the Ukrainian authorities. In this context, the condemnation of the Kremlin may seem clear.

In any case, Moscow’s logic regarding Parubiy remains relevant. He continues to be an enemy for the Russian leadership, and even if the Kremlin is not directly involved in the murder, it fits into the overall picture of ideological confrontation.

Moreover, for Vladimir Putin, the events of Euromaidan remain alive in the public eye, and he uses them as justification for his aggression against Ukraine. Ultimately, Parubiy’s murder underscores how changes in Ukrainian politics become a subject for manipulation by external forces.

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