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Over a period of three months, starting in late 2013, Ukraine experienced a remarkable civic transformation. What started as peaceful protests largely consisting of young idealists, grew quickly into an organized yet decentralized social movement, a conglomeration of semi-formal initiatives, and a loosely defined network of related formal and informal organizations-a process that ultimately prompted significant political and social changes in Ukraine. This paper offers three case studies related to EuroMaidan to provide insight into the formal and informal dimensions of civil society, contrasting those with official designations. The discussion contributes to the long-debated question of the strength or weakness of civil society in the context of Eastern Europe and suggests directions for future research with regard to the conceptualization of civil society and our understanding of formality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports that Ukrainian oceanographer Sergei Piontkovski is facing charges of communicating secret information with the West and illegally handling foreign currency. Opinion that he actually exchanged only research data and handled only the cash that Western funding agencies sent him; Effects of approval of his activities by Ukrainian authorities in Kiev; Suggestion that there could be profound international implications.