Russia incinerates birthplace of famous Christmas song
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
-
Mykola Leontovych
19 min read
The Ukrainian composer who arranged 'Shchedryk' into the melody the world knows as 'Carol of the Bells' - his life, tragic death at Soviet hands, and the journey of his composition to global fame provides essential context for understanding the cultural significance of Pokrovsk's destruction
-
Pokrovsk offensive
10 min read
The ongoing military engagement described in the article, providing detailed tactical and strategic context about the 150,000 Russian troops, Ukrainian defensive efforts, and the city's significance as a logistical hub in the Donetsk region
Editor’s Note:
This Christmas season, support a team conducting journalism in the harshest conditions. Your subscription goes directly to things that keep us safe: body armor, batteries, first aid kits – keeping our reporting going.
If you find our work valuable, subscribe. Independent reporting depends on readers like you.
“[The enemy] is destroying the home where such a great song was created that inspires everyone…Yes, it was born in Pokrovsk,” priest Oleksandr Soldatenko said of one of the world’s most well-known Christmas carols.
The birthplace of that song, he said, is now “soaked in blood.” You will likely remember this tune:
Video: YouTube/Libera Official
A few years ago, Oleksandr remembered Pokrovsk as a city where ‘Shchedryk’ echoed through the streets — the Ukrainian song the world knows as ‘Carol of the Bells.’
Today, as the world hums a familiar melody, the city is silent except for the sound of explosions.
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. Russians have surrounded it from three sides, infiltrating the city center and capturing it district by district.
Life there has become unbearable: the gas supply has been cut off, and houses, if they have not already been destroyed, are left without electricity and water, forcing thousands of citizens like Oleksandr to flee.
This year, the city of the carol will likely mark its last Christmas under Ukrainian flags before it is completely reduced to ashes. Its fall would carry political weight: it could deepen Donald Trump’s doubts about Ukraine’s ability to hold the Donetsk region, increasing pressure on Kyiv in any future negotiations.
However, at Christmas time, its significance transcends politics. The destruction of Pokrovsk would be a loss not only for Ukraine but for the whole world, marking the erasure of a global cultural cradle.
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.
“I remember how we had pockets full of candy, a good mood,
...This excerpt is provided for preview purposes. Full article content is available on the original publication.