‘Christmas Lights for Hope’: Glimpses of a festival as Kyiv longs for peace

Sharing glimpses of the monuments, Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the internal affairs minister, called them "Christmas Lights for Hope".

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Netizens were delighted to see the photographs and expressed their hopes in comments section

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Spreading hope amid the turbulence in Ukraine, key monuments in the war-ravaged country were decked out as part of low-key Christmas celebrations. Sharing glimpses of the monuments, Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the internal affairs minister, called them “Christmas Lights for Hope”.

The motherland monument stands tall in the lit-up city, with the “Ukrainian coat of arms-trident” symbol imprinted on it. The symbol reflects heroic events of the past and serves as an icon of the Ukrainian warriors defending the country.

“‘Christmas Lights for Hope’ by Gerry Hofstetter illuminates Kyiv’s sights this Christmas. Ukraine will shine bright again, peaceful and free!” tweeted Gerashchenko.

“Christmas Lights for Hope” by Gerry Hofstetter illuminates Kyiv’s sights this Christmas.💛💙

Ukraine will shine bright again, peaceful and free!🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/OOp12dLxvk

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 25, 2022

Netizens were delighted to see the photographs and expressed their hopes in the comments section. A Twitter user commented, “This is beautiful.” Another user wrote, “As long as good people do good things, light always will prevail over darkness.” A third user wrote, “Yes, Ukraine will shine bright again, peaceful and free! The sooner the better!”

Christmas celebrations in the country generally begin on January 6 and end on January 19, as per the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar. But several Ukrainians now follow the Gregorian calendar and celebrate the festival on December 25. By the end of December, cities and streets used to shine with decorations and lights.

However, the festive season looks grim and bleak this year as Ukrainians are reeling from Russian strikes and electricity outages. Christmas villages have been set up in subways and underground shelters for low-key celebrations.