Titushky

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

Titushky (Ukrainian: тітушки; sometimes titushkos, titushkas) is a widely-used term in Ukrainian mass media and by the general public for street hooligans who are suspected to be sponsored by the government. They are alleged to be an illegal formation of combat troops dressed as civilians, whose goal is to assault and disperse peaceful demonstrations by opponents of the government, and attack participants and representatives of the media. Titushky blend in with a crowd or mob and then instigate a fight.

During the events in Ukraine in 2013/2014 known as Euromaidan, it became a collective term for provocateurs and thugs hired by the Party of Regions ^[1] and law enforcement agents in civilian clothing.^[2][3]

Name origin

The name comes from Vadym Titushko (Ukrainian: Вадим Тітушко) (also known as Vadik Rumyn (Russian: Вадик Румын)), a mixed martial artist^[4] from Bila Tserkva who attacked journalists of the 5th Channel on May 18, 2013. He was one of three men who received suspended sentences over the attack. Titushko reportedly is unhappy with the association of his name.^[5]

On Radio Liberty web page titushky are described as "burly guys dressed in sports gear who act as agents provocateurs. They crack down on protesters or provoke clashes with the aim of tarnishing peaceful protests". Not a completely new term specific to Euromaidan protests, "titushky" was devised earlier this year after two journalists were beaten up in Kyiv by a group of athletically built youth.

Actions

According to former head of Security Service of Ukraine, "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 even don’t know who and why gathered them and what they will have to do. They understand what they got involved into only after they find themselves in the middle of some action.^[6]

IT-titushky

IT-titushky or IT-titushkas (pronounces "ajtitushky") (Ukrainian: айтітушки)

The word appeared in the Mislovo (Ukrainian: Мислово) dictionary of modern Ukrainian slang. It's composed with two words "IT" and "titushka" and stands for a hacker or an ordinary user, who aggressively acts (DDoS attacks as well as aggressive comments on sites or trolling) against the pro-Euromaidan sources. Are known for already have broken some "pro-revolution" blogs.

See also

• Voluntary People's Druzhina

References

External links

• Titushky at Ukrainian slang dictionary Myslovo