Source: Deutsche Welle
President Poroshenko recently called 2014 Ukraine's most difficult year in 75 years. With war still waging in the east and an economy in crisis, 2015 doesn't look like it will be much easier.
Kyiv's Christmas market is set up in the shadow of the city's iconic St Sophia's cathedral. A giant glistening fir tree towers next to the golden domes. Families, young couples, pensioners, and a few off-duty soldiers wander the illuminated stalls in search of the festive spirit.
There are young ladies in Santa Claus costumes, a funfair, and traders selling a selection of traditional snacks and hot drinks - the warmth welcome in the sub-zero temperatures. But no one here seems to mind the cold. Ukrainians everywhere are gearing up to celebrate New Year and their Orthodox Christmas that follows it. It is a timely distraction from the country's troubles, because there has been little to cheer about in 2014.
Ukraine's turbulent year began with the Maidan revolution in full swing, which concluded in bittersweet victory for the protesters. Many lives were lost, and celebrations were short-lived, as the swift annexation of Crimea by Russia followed in March.
Escalation
Shortly afterwards, the slow takeover of parts of eastern Ukraine started. An unlikely bunch of rag-tag separatists stormed government buildings one by one in key cities, such as Donetsk and Luhansk, steadily consolidating power. By May, the Ukrainian government was beginning to fight back and the crisis escalated into a full-blown conflict, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of providing the rebels with support. A ceasefire implemented in September calmed the situation only slightly, but sporadic fighting continued. As of today, with peace talks again on hold, both sides remain in a position to resume all-out war, as the humanitarian situation worsens amid plummeting temperatures.
Ruslan Karavansky, a Ukrainian soldier who recently fought in the east, is collecting donations at the market to help poorly-resourced troops on the front lines. He is bitter about the year drawing to a close. "The government has forgotten about us, all the citizens," he says. "Poroshenko does not help either the soldiers or the needy, including the elderly. It only reduces pensions."
Struggling economy
Olga, from Kyiv, says she already feels disillusioned with the new government, which only came into power this year. "I think that the government that we have now did not meet our expectations and we have to come together to change it again, so I think that a lot of changes lie ahead in 2015," she says. "This is not the end. Yes, everything will be hard, and everyone will have to tighten their belts."
Olga is sitting on a sleigh with her friend Elena, drinking mulled wine and listening to loud Christmas songs. In the light-hearted atmosphere of the market, the pair find some optimism about the coming year. "We still have a hope that everything is going to be all right," says Elena. "We just need to think that everything is going to be all right. It's all in the mind. I think what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think we need to do everything with a smile. Be positive. So we wish you a Happy New Year."