The first three days of 2024 through the eyes of one of the three million residents in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Yara
Kyiv is the seventh largest city in Europe and the capital of Ukraine. It is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center and one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe.
I worked for a few days in December out of a Kyiv apartment next door to where Golda Meir, one of founders of the State of Israel, spent the first six years of her childhood.
Yaroslava Antipina prefers her “war coffee” black — no sugar. Every day, she sips on the cup as her life strays further from the one she has always known.
“Yara,” as her family and friends know her, lives in Kyiv with her son and Victory, their cat. The name is an expression of her’s and every Ukrainian’s hope. Before the war she worked in an office, enjoyed coffee, sweets, reading and walking.
“Having #Warcoffee” is where she writes. War is where she lives.
The First Three Days of 2024
January 1, 2024 – “The New Year’s night was not calm. Russian forces launched at Ukraine 90 Shahed drones. Our air defence downed 87. Shukhevych Museum in Lviv burned down as a result of the drone attack.”
“Every day, I choose not to complain (okay, I might do it sometimes, anyway) and do what I can (and, if possible, do what I want). We often postpone life and wait for the right moment. The war taught me that this moment might never happen.”
“Every time when I am in my hometown, I visit this place. Oak wood. An oak tree is planted near each flag, A plate with a name, date of birth and death is near each oak tree. Ukrainian heroes. The number of oak trees is growing.”
January 2, 2024
“Kyiv City Military Administration informed that more than 60 cruise missiles and around 10 kinzhals attacking the capital were destroyed. More than 250,000 people are without power in the city and Oblast. Civil and critical infrastructure were attacked. More than 20 people were injured in Kyiv. 2 people were killed in Kyiv Oblast.”
“According to the official information from our Air Force, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 99 missiles of different types this morning. 72 of them were shot down. Air defence downed 10 out of 10 Kinzhal missiles, 59 out of 70 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles and 3 out of 3 Kalibr cruise missiles. The main target was Kyiv. “
January 3, 2024
“It was a calm night in Kyiv. I woke up later today. Already had #warcoffee and am ready to live my life. Maybe this concept seems strange to someone. But I prefer to live and not complain. I am not unique in it. People in different wars tried hard to keep any signs of normality they could.”
“War coffee is resistance. Strength. We Ukrainians need such things to survive, to be strong. Because for me the very hard thing right now is the uncertainty. You don’t know what’s going on the next day, next week. But we will manage. We have no choice.”
Yaroslava Antipina, Kyiv
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