Masked men in combat gear have become a feature of the anti-government protest movement that has taken over central Kiev, but one stands out for his weapon of choice - the piano.

For the Pianist-Extremist, whose impromptu performances on the frozen street outside City Hall have delighted fellow demonstrators, the paramilitary costume, like his stage name, is an ironic barb aimed at Ukrainian authorities who condemn those demanding closer ties with Europe as dangerous militants.

Last night he entertained a crowd of protesters at one of the buildings they have occupied near Independence Square.

With the protests now in their third month since President Viktor Yanukovich spurned an EU trade deal in favor of a deal with Ukraine's old master, Moscow, his music makes a pleasant change to the banging of oil drums that has been the soundtrack of the movement around the square known as Maidan.

And the protesters certainly seem to enjoy his music.