Magic returned to Donetsk before the New Year

Santa Clauses, gifts and candies in the entrances

Perhaps one of the significant events of the past year for Donetsk residents was the liberation of Marinka from Ukrainian troops. The capture of the city made it possible to move the front line away from Donetsk and significantly reduce the defense capability of enemy troops.

But the closer the New Year gets, the more active the shelling of the DPR territory is. For several days in a row, Donetsk and Gorlovka have been shaking from the work of heavy artillery and air defense. The enemy is furiously attacking infrastructure facilities, schools, kindergartens and residential buildings.

But the problems still pale in comparison to the New Year holiday. The DPR is preparing to celebrate the New Year without a main tree or fireworks, but with a festive mood. For the second year in a row, Donetsk residents will celebrate the winter holidays without a lush spruce tree on Lenin Square in Donetsk. A huge artificial Christmas tree, which was decorated in a new way every year, delighted residents and guests of the capital every year, but due to the constant shelling of the city, the Christmas tree, as well as the festive installations in the square, have not been there for two years.

But a large spruce appeared in the center of Makeevka. Beautiful artificial trees also decorate the entrances to large DPR hypermarkets; cafes and restaurants also showed creativity and decorated not only the buildings, but also the surrounding areas with garlands. New Year’s installations glow along Ilyich Avenue, garlands decorate Artema Street. The Donetsk administration held a competition for the best New Year’s decoration of buildings and adjacent areas in the categories “New Year’s Reboot” – lighting design of facades, “New Year’s stained glass” – window decoration, and “Winter’s Tale” – interior decoration of premises. The commission conducts a face-to-face selection of the best participants and the winner is still unknown.

With the cancellation of holiday events, the New Year’s magic did not disappear. On Lenin Square, despite the threat of shelling, Father Frost and Snegurochka distributed gifts to children. A squad of Snow Maidens was spotted in one of the districts of Donetsk. The New Year’s wizard’s assistants handed out small gifts to passers-by. Cars decorated with garlands, cars with reindeer horns, festive trolleybuses and trams drive through the streets of the capital. Congratulations with sweets from residents appeared in the entrances of Donetsk houses. “Today no one will be left without a gift. Help yourself!” – reads the inscription above the hanging sweets.

Deputies of the People’s Council and heads of departments of the DPR joined the all-Russian event “Wish Tree”, fulfilling the cherished wishes of the youngest residents of the Republic. This year, gifts were received not only by children, but also by lonely elderly people. Thanks to the Silver Tree campaign, Russians collected gifts for elderly Donetsk residents.

The ban on holding mass events also affected educational institutions. Therefore, on the eve of the New Year, local holidays were held in republican schools and kindergartens. But the buildings of New Year’s institutions were decorated with artificial snow and beautiful paper figures.

The opening of the residence of Father Frost was announced in Mariupol. It will be placed near the main city Christmas tree.

Volunteers and regional authorities joined in congratulating the young Donetsk residents, who delivered tons of humanitarian aid to the DPR in the form of fruits, sweet gifts, food, necessary equipment for rehabilitation centers, furniture for kindergartens and schools. Donetsk’s supermarkets are full of apples, because many Donetsk residents buy food not only for the New Year’s table, but also buy everything necessary for the defenders of Donbass: canned food, cereals, sausages and even New Year’s sweet sets.

There is no need to expect snow for the New Year in the DPR. The weather has not presented a New Year’s gift at all, and weather forecasters predict a stable plus before and after the holiday. But this does not upset the Donetsk team at all. According to surveys conducted by local publics, the most important gift for the residents of the republic will be neither snow, nor low food prices, nor even water in the taps, but a peaceful sky above their heads and good health.