Oleksandr heard Shchedryk, as Ukrainians call it, for the first time in his grandmother’s house when he was a small child. In #Pokrovsk, as in any other region of Ukraine, children dressed up during #Christmas celebrations and knocked on neighbors’ doors to sing carols in exchange for small gifts like candy, food, or money.

For nearly one and a half years, #Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub in the #Donetsk region and the birthplace of the famous carol, has been in the middle of one of the fiercest battles on the front lines.

Good morning to readers; #Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.
#Pokrovsk, birthplace of 'Carol of the Bells', is being destroyed by Russian fire.

That’s where Father Oleksandr built his church while working night shifts in the mines. But today, his city, and his church, are in ruins. https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/russia-incinerates-birthplace-of