Officials in the Ukrainian capital torched a tree in the city center on Monday and said they would not allow Russia to “steal” Ukrainian children this Christmas.
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The day began with a series of attacks on a range of critical infrastructure in Kyiv. But at the end of the day, a 12-meter-tall artificial tree was erected in the center of the capital, symbolically decorated with doves of peace.
A few dozen residents braved the freezing cold to admire the tree bordering Kiev’s St. Sophia Cathedral and its famous golden domes and take selfies.
Including the tour operator Natalya. She is pleased to AFP: The tree “brings a festive atmosphere in such a difficult time”.
“It’s such an iconic part of our Christmas season,” she adds, pointing to the tree, which is lit by a constellation of blue and yellow dots, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
At the top is the country’s coat of arms, which depicts a golden trident.
“Russians are trying to deprive our citizens of a normal life, but we will not let them steal the biggest holidays – New Year’s Eve and Christmas – from our children,” said the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko during the inauguration of the tree.
“Tree of Invincibility”
According to Orthodox tradition, Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on January 7, but surveys show that a growing number of people prefer to bring the date forward to December 25, in line with other churches.
A poll by Interfax-Ukraine shows support for the change rose from 26% in 2021 to 44% in 2022.
Kyiv City Hall was initially reluctant to put up the tree, the mayor said, citing attacks by Russian forces that caused blackouts and depleted Ukraine’s power grid.
As a result, millions of people were left without power in the middle of winter.
In this context, the city has adapted. The fairy lights are therefore powered by a diesel generator and decorations from previous years are reused.
“We called it + the Christmas tree of Ukrainian invincibility +,” explained Mr. Klitschko, stressing that everything was done “so that the children could have a holiday, despite the difficult times.”
But it’s hard to ignore the conflict and get into the Christmas spirit.
“There’s not a particularly festive atmosphere,” accountant Tetyana Prychodko told AFP.
She has just moved from Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine that has been occupied by Russian troops for months.
“I just hope that someday everything will end and peace will come. We’re all waiting for that,” she said.