{"id":178010,"date":"2016-08-09T13:02:41","date_gmt":"2016-08-09T13:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meydan.tv\/article\/euromaidan-star-yulia-marushevskaya-taking-on-corruption-in-odessas-ports\/"},"modified":"2016-08-09T13:02:41","modified_gmt":"2016-08-09T13:02:41","slug":"euromaidan-star-yulia-marushevskaya-taking-on-corruption-in-odessas-ports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meydan.tv\/en\/article\/euromaidan-star-yulia-marushevskaya-taking-on-corruption-in-odessas-ports\/","title":{"rendered":"Euromaidan star Yulia Marushevskaya taking on corruption in Odessa’s ports"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n \n Yulia Marushevskaya: we are fighting on two fronts: one inside the country against corruption and the other in the east of the country, against Russia. \n <\/b>\n<\/p>\n
\n In a recent press conference in Ukraine\u2019s port city of Odessa, the 26 year old Ukrainian star of \u2018EuroMaidan\u2019 and the city\u2019s port customs chief, Yulia Marushevskaya, shared some information about herself, the port workers of the town and various other aspects of her work.\n<\/p>\n
\n Born in Kiev, Yulia Marushevskaya became famous after publishing the popular, \u201cI am Ukrainian\u201d video during the Euromaidan movement in Ukraine in November of 2013. In the video, Yulia called out to the world saying, \u201cwe are fighting against authoritarian regimes and against corruption. Please help us.\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n
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\n After the video became famous around the world, Russian media began disseminating propaganda claiming that Yulia was an American spy. After she received a master’s degree from the prestigious Stanford University, she began her PhD in Kiev. During the Maidan movement, the young activist was teaching at the university. She said she had participated in rallies with her students and family.\n<\/p>\n
\n \n Two leaders cross paths in Panama and become divided during Maidan \n <\/b>\n<\/p>\n
\n A few months ago, journalistic investigations mentioned hundreds of high-ranking officials which took the world by surprise. In those documents, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were among those mentioned. So what do those presidents think about Maidan? One of them sees Europe extending its hand to them and offering a way out, while the other sees it as a \u2018dirty\u2019 hand.\n<\/p>\n\n \n Ilham Aliyev (left) and Petro Poroshenko (right) \n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n Ukraine’s Euromaidan movement is remembered every year on the same day in Ukraine as Dignity and Freedom Day and celebrated by the president, Petro Poroshenko who personally attends rallies in honor of the day. Poroshenko has stated that Ukraine has \u201cfulfilled the technical conditions for visa – free travel within the European Union and now [looks] forward to their decision.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Ilham Aliyev’s views are at odds with those of his Ukranian counterpart. Aliyev speaks strongly and critically about the Maidan movement: \u201cThey want to create the same kind of movement in Azerbaijan. They tempt young people, but we consistently expose their dirty deeds. The stability and development of normal life goes on. We have protected our country from calamity; we cut off those dirty hands to protect our country and will ensure the security and development of our people.\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n \n Marushevskaya (left), Saakashvili (right) \n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n \n The road to public office from the Maidan movement \n <\/b>\n<\/p>\n
\n Upon his appointment to the governorship of Odessa, Mikhail Saakashvili started to gather young and talented people around him. Of course, he did not ignore the shining star of Maidan, young Yuliya. After the Maidan movement, he trained her at some of the most prestigious universities in the world. After that, he appointed her to Odessa’s government. Marushevskaya accomplished a lot of work in just a few months, which caught the government’s eye. She was appointed head of customs of Odessa, which is Ukraine’s largest sea port. President Poroshenko was present at the appointment ceremony.\n<\/p>\n
\n Both Saakashvili and Marushevskaya are disliked by the central government. Saakashvili went to war against the corruption of high-ranking officials. Yulia, after taking office, adopted the motto of the Next Generation. Therefore, she didn’t make any friends with senior officials.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ukraine’s border customs have been open to change, but the situation of Azerbaijan\u2019s customs department and the corruption within the system seem otherwise. Georgian customs can be cleared within several minutes, while Azerbaijani customs are notorious for taking hours. Despite this, Azerbaijan\u2019s customs checkpoints tend to be more porous than those of Georgia when it comes to narcotics shipments. Moreover, journalists and other social activists are routinely stopped at border checkpoints, where they can be remanded into the custody of the police. Attempts to contact the Customs Administration of Azerbaijan regarding these problems was unsuccessful. The press service of the State Customs Committee did not respond to questions posed to them by Meydan TV correspondents, and hung up.\n<\/p>\n\n \n Yulia Marushevskaya (left) and head of Azerbaijani customs, Ehtiram Halilov (right) \n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n \n \n Marushevskaya: we thought that during the Maidan movement, if we made a few changes, everything would work out fine\u2026 \n <\/i> \n <\/b>\n<\/p>\n
\n The head Ukraine’s largest customs office for close to a year, 26-year-old Julia Marushevskaya determined that the customs office in Odessa, which was the country’s most corrupt, wanted bribes for everything. “If you have a strong will, you can fight against corruption. We thought that during the Maidan movement, if we made changes, everything would be fine. But now I understand that we have to work hard and to go to war against corruption. It’s a hard job. ”\n<\/p>\n\n \n Marushevskaya with reporters and customs agents in Odessa \n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n