Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
I ignited this candle at our bureau in Kyiv last month, following a prolonged power outage that left us in icy darkness for hours. However, we consider ourselves fortunate. For many residents of Kyiv, the winter’s heat and electricity outages can last for days.
The fourth winter of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has proven to be the harshest in recent memory, with the Russians strategically targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Candles have become a last resort for illumination when emergency power sources fail.
These candles also symbolize a sense of loss. “February … is sobbing,” as expressed by Ukrainian poet Iya Kiva in 2022, during the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, “and the candle drips on the table, burning and burning.”
The people of Ukraine vow to endure this phase of Russia’s aggression as well. They sleep fully clothed, sometimes under layers of blankets, keep their babies warm with insulated coverings and hot water bottles, and gather their families to cook traditional borsch on portable campfire stoves.
The Russian attacks on the energy grid persist. Another strike occurred early on Tuesday morning. The temperature plummeted to -21 degrees C (-6 degrees F). A new record low.
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