Yuschenko: historical times

I had almost given up. The time of our appointment had changed six times in 24 hours. The presidential palace was — as it still is — in full crisis, and my interview seemed to be receding out of reach. When he finally showed up, the man at the centre of the political storm seemed perfectly calm. Victor Yuschenko was wearing a well-cut suit and a bright red tie, but it was his face that captivated my attention. This was the famous face that had shocked the world and launched a revolution. Disfigured by pocks and carbuncles, it tells the story of Yuschenko’s near-death and of his country’s bitter struggle for democracy. But now Yuschenko has traded the barricades for office, and his pockmarks are obscured by a protective cloak of make-up — salmon pink, like the satin wallpaper and armchairs of his presidential suite.

In the country outside the scars of Ukraine’s political past are resurfacing.