Since early January, the temperature in Kyiv has hovered around -15°C (5°F). It’s getting a bit warmer now, but there could be more very cold spells before spring.
Ukrainians are dreaming of the spring, knowing that they must hold out until it arrives. When it does, Russia will definitely change its tactics and start shelling something other than the energy infrastructure.
While the freezing temperatures persist, Russia eagerly awaits Ukrainian capitulation or, at least, mass protests against President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government. However, there are no signs of either happening. Neither have we seen a new wave of Ukrainian refugees heading to Europe.
On the contrary, since the New Year holidays, there have been no lines at border crossings. In the courtyards of Kyiv apartment buildings, which have been without heat for two weeks, residents are lighting fires and barbecuing meat to the accompaniment of upbeat Ukrainian songs by Verka Serduchka. This is how they support each other in these difficult times.
Most of the day, there is no electricity in the majority of Kyiv apartments. It comes back on at night when people work online, cook on electric stoves, and do the laundry. The lights remain on in many windows until 3:00 a.m or 4:00 a.m.
Some areas of the country are reporting deaths due to hypothermia. For example, in Rivne region, western Ukraine, eight people died, and over 30 were hospitalized. At the same time, the number of fires caused by DIY heating systems has increased.
At Kyiv’s Hryshko National Botanical Garden, the lack of heat and electricity has led to a near catastrophe. In the greenhouses for rare tropical and subtropical plants, temperatures have dropped significantly, and the survival of these heat-loving plants and trees is at risk.
The botanical garden’s generators are running around the clock, but there is a shortage of diesel fuel and insufficient funds to buy more. Activists have started a fundraising campaign, and a major gas station chain has also offered fuel to the Botanical Gardens at a significant discount. Meanwhile, individual Kyivites are turning up at the gates of the much-loved park with canisters of diesel fuel.
Kyiv residents are currently working to save not only rare plants but also stray animals. Some activists have built insulated kennels in the areas where stray dogs congregate. Others are rescuing waterfowl, whose access to water and food has been cut off by the severe cold. Along the banks of the Dnipro River and on the shores of numerous lakes in and around the city, residents are providing bird food, hay, and straw.
Places of refuge
Around Kyiv, there are over 1,200 warming stations open for residents, offering hot tea, internet access, and phone charging facilities. Many of these stations are located in schools and kindergartens. This is one of the reasons why the Christmas/New Year school holiday was extended until Feb. 1. Whether a return to school will be delayed again depends on the weather.
For now, children are visiting schools and kindergartens with their parents and grandparents to sit in the warmth and charge their phones. Supermarkets, shopping centers, and gas stations are offering similar services. In addition to these islands of relative comfort, around the city, dozens of huge tents with autonomous heating systems have been set up, primarily in residential areas. Several dozen mobile kitchens are also offering free hot meals.
Across Ukraine, train stations have also been converted into warm hostels. At Kyiv Central Station, an entire sleeper train awaits residents who have fled the cold of their apartments. They can spend the night in a compartment for free.
Similar heated “dormitory trains” are parked in station sidings in many Ukrainian cities, and this is not the first time Ukrainian Railways has mobilized to help the population, while remaining the country’s most reliable form of transportation.
The cold has partially halted cultural life. The annual Ukrainian Fashion Week has been postponed until March. Some museums have closed to focus resources on protecting exhibits from the damaging effects of the cold. This is the case for the Museum of Manuscripts and Old Books.
However, the Museum of Water remains open. This popular attraction’s official title is “The Water Information Center”, and it tells the story of Kyiv’s water supply and sewerage systems. I am confident that after the war, this museum will house an exhibit that records the events of this winter – of life without electricity, water or heat, and of the courageous struggle of plumbers to deal with the thousands of system failures caused by the Russian aggression.
Over the past two weeks, Ukrainians have been bombarded with advice on how to survive without heating. Some are at once exotic and interesting. For example, why not pitch a winter tent or yurt inside a room in your cold apartment? To insulate it, put layers of coats or spare blankets on top. The key is to have a few layers of blankets or rugs on the floor of the yurt or tent.
The situation in Kyiv today is worse than in any other city in Ukraine. The Kremlin wants to break the will of Ukraine’s capital, but residents, although tired, cold, and angry, see that they haven’t been abandoned.
Plumbers from around Ukraine have come to help repair the damage to Kyiv’s amenities. The Czech Republic has sent 36 large generators. Poland is raising funds for 100 more. Equipment for repairing power plants is on its way to Kyiv from several European countries. Some of this aid will reach Ukraine only after the worst frosts have passed, but news of our neighbors’ readiness to defend us from the cold brings warmth, if not to the body, then to the soul.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.