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Titushky

The Titushky (plural; Ukrainian: тітушки; Russian: титушки; Romanian: titușki; Georgian: ტიტუშკები) were mercenary agents in Ukraine who supported the Ukrainian security services during the administration of Viktor Yanukovych, often posing as street hooligans in sports clothing[1] with the purpose of serving as provocateurs at pro-European and anti-Yanukovych political rallies that would incite violence in order to get protestors arrested.[2][3] Their role grew more prominent in the wake of Euromaidan, where they were involved in numerous clashes and acts of violence during the movement.[4] The concept of Titushky also exists outside of Ukraine throughout Central and Eastern Europe, where the term became synonymous with the ruling regimes' informal, violent enforcers.

Titushky
Titushky at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, November 24, 2013

In the early 2010s, a Titushky raid (Russian: титушки рейд) was a widely-used slang term in both Ukrainian and the Russian spoken in Ukraine to describe street beatings, carjackings, and kidnappings by unidentified men in civilian clothes from behind the lines of political rallies.[2] Titushky were employed by the Yanukovych government, reportedly receiving 200 hryvnia to $100 per day in payments.[2][5][6] Some were also suspected of being illegal formations of combat troops carrying concealed pistols.[2] They carried out intimidation and dispersal of anti-government demonstrations, and attacked participants and representative of the news media.

Titushky adopted the strategy of blending into a peaceful crowd or mob and then instigating a violent fight, which led to arrests of peaceful protesters on the grounds of mass disorder; the perpetrators were then used either as witnesses of the supposed crime, or as victims. During Euromaidan in 2013–2014, they became a collective term for agents provocateurs and thugs,[7] who were hired by the Party of Regions and law enforcement agents in civilian clothing.[8][9][10] Supporters of President Yanukovych also used the term titushky to refer to pro-opposition thugs.[11]

Etymology

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The term Titushky derives from the surname of Vadym Titushko [uk] (Ukrainian: Вадим Тітушко, Russian: Вадим Титушко), also known as Vadik “Rumyn” (Ukrainian: Вадiк «Румин», Russian: Вадик «Румын», Romanian: Vadik "Românul"), meaning Vadik 'the Romanian', a mixed martial artist[12] from Bila Tserkva who attacked Channel Five journalists on May 18, 2013, during the Rise up, Ukraine! opposition rally.[13][14] He and two other men received suspended sentences over the attack.[13] Titushko said he was unhappy to have his name associated with thugs,[15] and that he supported the anti-government Euromaidan protests.[16] In his interview, Titushko asserted that he was hired to protect the opposition rally and that he tried to remove a woman from harm's way, from amid a melee.[12]

Radio Liberty described titushky as "burly guys dressed in sports wear who act as agents provocateurs. They crack down on protesters or provoke clashes with the aim of tarnishing peaceful protests".[17]

Activity

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In January 2014, a former head of the Security Service of Ukraine, General Palivoda, stated "Titushki are actively used by the government in local standoffs with people. These are groups of provocateurs who get paid and these are mostly people without steady moral principles and very poor people who desperately need some money. They are not bandits nor prisoners nor criminals. Often they don't even know who gathered them and what they will have to do. They understand what they got involved in only after they find themselves in the middle of some action."[18] However, Vyacheslav Veremiy, a Vesti Reporter journalist traveling to Euromaidan, was pulled out of his car by a Titushky squad and shot to death point-blank from a concealed gun, indicating more than just a happenstance action.[2] Veremiy's killing was confirmed on Wednesday 19 February 2014 at 6.45 am.[19]

According to What's On magazine, Titushky openly fired live ammunition on 18 February 2014, resulting in the death of at least one protester at the scene near the Supreme Court building in Kyiv. On the same day, some 200 Titushky men, dressed as Maidan defence units with green helmets and shields, joined Berkut troops and beat protesters on Velyka Zhytomyrska street using bats and iron pipes.[19] Titushky also blocked a polling station in Mykolaiv during the presidential election amidst pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine in the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian War, on 25 May 2014.[20]

Ititushky

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In 2013, the word ititushky or ititushkas (pronounced ajtitushky) (Ukrainian: айтітушки, Russian: айтитушки) quickly appeared in the Myslovo (Ukrainian: Мислово) dictionary of modern Ukrainian slang, and also soon became a widespread term in the Russian used in Ukraine. A portmanteau of the words IT and titushka, it refers to a hacker or an ordinary user who acted aggressively against pro-Euromaidan blogs and websites, using DDoS-attacks, aggressive comments, or trolling.[21][22]

Similar groups

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In Poland, in late 70s individuals who were working on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Public Security were often termed as Polish: Nieznani sprawcy, lit. 'Unknown perpetrators', (see Nieznani sprawcy (poland euphemism) [pl]) who were tasked with terrorizing and murdering dissidents, catholics, and keeping in check workers,[23] often with impunity.[23] The murder of Stanisław Pyjas, a student at the time, is a well known case of illegal sprawcy activity.[23]

Piotr Siuda (Russian: Пётр Сиуда, 1937 - May 1990), a victim and volunteer of Novocherkassk massacre who had investigated it in 1980s had reported that, at the time, Soviet Militia in his own city of Novocherkassk used semi-legal groups of ex-convicts to hunt down and beat up political activists and dissent.[24][25]: 60  Piotr himself was killed in 90s under suspicious circumstances.[26]

During the prelude to the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, the PiS government has been caught hiring supporters to disrupt and delegitimize the 2023 Polish protests.[27][28]

Georgia

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Georgian pro-European Union demonstrations, which have been targeted by Titushky.[29]

In 2024, Georgia's euroscepticist ruling party Georgian Dream used Titushky against political opponents extensively, drawing parallels with Yanukovich's administration in Ukraine.[30]

During the 2023–2024 Georgian protests, opposition offices were attacked by Titushky.[31] A number of opponents of the government's proposed "foreign agents law", including political and civil figures were ambushed, attacked, and severely beaten by Titushky.[32]

In the course of 2024 Georgian post-election protests, Titushky were used to physically attack journalists critical of the government, as well as political opponents of the ruling party.[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Кто такие "титушки", и почему их так называют на Украине?". AiF (in Russian). 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  2. ^ a b c d e Katarzyna Kwiatkowska (2014). "Titusski - napadają, wyciągają ludzi z aut, palą i grabią" [Titushky swarm in, drag people out of cars, burn them and rob]. WP.PL Wiadomości (in Polish) (1123). Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Кто такие титушки". Моя газета (in Russian). Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  4. ^ "Sharp escalation – DW – 02/19/2014". dw.com. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  5. ^ "СМИ: "Титушкам"-провокаторам из Запорожья предлагают по $100 в день" (in Russian). Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  6. ^ Свобода, Радіо (27 November 2013). ""Тітушкам" платять від 200 до 500 гривень – Ярема". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  7. ^ "Беркут" и "титушки" дерутся с митингующими у здания Кабмина (in Russian). 24 November 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  8. ^ Як на Банкову звозили "тітушок" автобусами та під наглядом силовиків (ВІДЕО) (in Ukrainian). Mukachevo.net. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013.
  9. ^ Администрацию президента штурмовали на заказ, - СМИ (in Russian). news.liga.net. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Several hundred 'titushkis' advance on protester barricades in Kyiv, but then retreat". Kyiv Post. 8 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  11. ^ "За что они милицию бьют – быдлы, сволочи?" - как в Донецке и Макеевке оценивают столичные события (in Russian). 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
  12. ^ a b Вадим Титушко: "У меня с детства ненависть к гопникам" (in Russian). July 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013.
  13. ^ a b "Streetfighting Men". Foreign Policy. February 6, 2014.
  14. ^ "Suspect In Attack On Ukrainian Journalists Arrested". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. May 21, 2013.
  15. ^ "From Maidan To Berkut: A Ukraine Protest Glossary". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 18 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013.
  16. ^ "Prawdziwy Tituszko krytykuje "tituszków": Poparłbym EuroMajdan". Dziennik.pl (in Polish). 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  17. ^ "From Maidan To Berkut: A Ukraine Protest Glossary". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 4 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013.
  18. ^ Frode Larsen (1 February 2014). "Ukrainian top general: There is proof of Russian intervention in Ukraine". Uriks.no. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  19. ^ a b "24 Hours of Hell". What's on Kiev. No. 6. 19 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  20. ^ "У Миколаєві "тітушки" вчинили безлад на одній з дільниць" [In Mykolaiv "titushky" made a mess in one of the polling stations]. 5 Kanal. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  21. ^ Ajtitushky at Ukrainian slang dictionary Myslovo
  22. ^ Айтітушки: нове слово сучасної української мови, Watcher.com.ua
  23. ^ a b c "Малюта Кисасундович Цястонь". В Кризис.ру (in Russian). 2021-09-06. Archived from the original on 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  24. ^ Siuda, Piotr. "Новочеркасская трагедия 1-3 Июня 1962 года" (PDF) (Interview). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2013.
  25. ^ Siuda, Piotr. "Новочеркасская трагедия 1-3 Июня 1962 года" (PDF) (Interview).
  26. ^ Сиуда, Эмма (1990). ПАМЯТИ ТОВАРИЩА (Report) (in Russian).
  27. ^ Tilles, Daniel (2023-07-10). "Actor says he was paid to appear as "passer-by" on Polish state TV criticising anti-government protest". Notes From Poland. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  28. ^ "Robert Bąkiewicz: "tituszka" PiS. Jak się skończy jego flirt z obozem władzy?". warszawa.wyborcza.pl. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  29. ^ Brutal Attack on Opposition Members and TV Pirveli Crew as Repression Intensifies, Civil Georgia: December 8, 2024.
  30. ^ Brawley Benson, Georgia: Old political patterns of intimidation and violence repeating themselves, EurasiaNet: May 10, 2024
  31. ^ Martin Fornusek, Georgia's opposition party says masked men attacked its Tbilisi office, The Kyiv Independent: June 1, 2024
  32. ^ Georgia’s ruling party intensifies disinformation tactics amid ‘foreign agent’ law standoff, Euractiv: May 31, 2024
  33. ^ Brutal Attack on Opposition Members and TV Pirveli Crew as Repression Intensifies, Civil Georgia: December 8, 2024. Quote: "In another episode of escalating repression the titushky (government paid thugs) raided the office of the opposition Coalition for Change political alliance..."
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