Despair, defiance, hope: Ukraine at Christmas
As Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on a different date, they look back on a year of war. DW spoke with Kyiv residents about the tough year they are leaving behind.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 The Ukrainian capital, Kiev, is getting
00:06 into the Christmas spirit, or at least trying to.
00:09 Olena, a speech therapist, is here with her daughter, Polina.
00:18 The Christmas mood and her daughter's skating skills
00:21 and joy are still not enough to distract her
00:24 from the ongoing war that has battered Ukraine.
00:28 Like many men, Olena's husband is fighting
00:31 and on the front line.
00:33 She fears that Ukraine's partners are losing faith.
00:36 What worries me most is that we will be abandoned.
00:45 We need the world to be with us, understand us,
00:47 and sympathize with us.
00:49 We all understand that Ukraine is now
00:51 a very important country that is holding the line so
00:54 that the enemy does not rule over other nations.
00:57 If, God forbid, we are abandoned,
01:00 there will be no help for us.
01:02 We will not be able to do this on our own.
01:05 We just won't.
01:05 Many in the capital share the sentiment,
01:11 despite the city's ability to keep Christmas spirits up
01:15 more than last year.
01:17 Nearly a year ago, I was reporting at this very spot
01:21 about the massive blackouts triggered by Russian airstrikes
01:24 that plunged the city of Kiev into complete darkness
01:27 that night.
01:28 This year, the lights are staying on.
01:30 But what has changed is the general mood.
01:32 It's definitely gotten gloomier as the war grinds
01:35 on towards a third year.
01:37 Reminders of the ongoing conflict are never far away.
01:45 But the air raid sirens don't faze residents anymore.
01:49 The war has cruelly upended lives.
01:52 There's despair, but also defiance.
01:56 Every day you ask yourself, what's next?
01:59 What to do after graduating from university?
02:02 Until the war's over, it's very difficult
02:04 to answer this question.
02:05 My feelings are of hope.
02:12 Hope that we will not bury all our children in this war.
02:17 My own son was killed on March 31.
02:20 I hope that someone will remain alive so that we have
02:23 grandchildren, so that there will be someone
02:26 to restore Ukraine later.
02:27 We must not give up.
02:35 Let's hope that Ukrainians are strong
02:37 and believe in their victory.
02:39 After two years, many people will say,
02:42 maybe it's better for us to give up.
02:43 No, we need to go to the end because we've lost too much.
02:46 I have only one dream, for the war to end.
02:54 Where to is the question on the minds of many,
02:58 and how many more Christmases they will still have to mark
03:02 under the shadow of war.
03:03 the shadow of war.
03:04 (upbeat music)