KIEV, Ukraine – Vasyl Fylosov and Sofiya Kirichenko came to Kiev from different regions to join round-the-clock protests in support of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko.
Result: two golden rings and a bride’s veil in the opposition’s signature color, orange.
Freezing temperatures, close quarters and the lack of basic amenities such as hot water and clean bathrooms have helped create a atmosphere of camaraderie and even romance for thousands of young people who settled in the sprawling opposition tent camp on Kiev’s main square.
“You can have your own little paradise – even in a tent,” said Vasyl, a tall 23-year-old with his hair dyed blond.
Four days after meeting, Vasyl and Sofiya, a cheerful 19-year-old brunette, staged unofficial vows in the heart of the tent city, to a wedding march and the cheers of dozens of fellow camp residents.
“She wore an orange veil, made from an orange curtain, and I had an orange shirt on, entirely covered by friends’ signatures and various slogans,” Vasyl said.
The wedding bore no legal weight, but Vasyl insisted that Kiev Mayor Olexander Omelchenko promised to issue the couple a special wedding certificate. Meanwhile, local reporters presented them with the rings.
Several other couples have staged such unofficial ceremonies, typically exchanging rings and toasting with champagne, followed by a long kiss.
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