Amid memories and homesickness, last year for Ukrainian journalists in Kosovo

Lyudmila is one of several Ukrainian journalists who have taken refuge in Kosovo, a few weeks after Russia has launched their country's invasion on 24 February.

For the holidays this weekend, she says she has decided not to decorate her temporary home in Pristina at all, but has worked some decorations for the New Year's wanderer to donate it to the people she belongs to.

Even though Kosovo is viewed as a second home and is grateful for the hospitality it has been offered, Lyudmila cannot forget her dreams of this end that she remains unfulfilled.

Last Christmas was very interesting for us because my youngest daughter, who was engaged to her boyfriend, came in. The party was very interesting because we welcomed a new member of our family. If it wasn't for the war, they'd be married this year”, says Lyudmila.

She especially misses the traditions of the year she was never forgotten at her parents ' home. She fondly remembers the history known to everyone in her family about how, when she was still young, the day before Christmas, she had lost her mother on her way to Grandma's house as a result of the huge snow that covered the streets of Chirohohandad in Ukraine.

The smell of oranges also brings back to mind childhood, since each year she received a package of presents from her uncle who lived in St Petersburg, Russia, a package filled with oranges, toys, and bonbonne.

Fears that her homeland could be hit anytime by Russian missiles and “will never see family members and friends again makes Ukrainian journalist have a single wish.

We will pray to God and, when heaven is open, God will hear our prayers for the war to end and we will return to Ukraine”, she says, referring to the belief in Ukraine that on Christmas Day, heaven is open and God hears people's wishes.

Although some 1,000 miles [1,600 km] from its homeland, Lyudmila has several co-workers nearby.

There are at least 13 Ukrainian journalists who are deployed in Kosovo via the “Journalists in Residency Kosovo” initiated by two European journalists' organisations and financially supported by the Government of Kosovo.

One of them is Irena Synelnyk, who has arrived in Kosovo in July this year. She says she never imagined Christmas would wait this year in Kosovo, since she had never known anything about this country before.

Christmas in her family has not been marked by new things, and major changes she says were decorated with the same decorations that have been part of her family since her grandparents.

But, this time, Iryna will not decorate her temporary home in Pristina at all.

The year 2022 has been especially difficult for her, since besides having been forced to leave her homeland, she has lost her father to the cause of COVID-19 disease and has completed her project as a journalist.

Last year's <x0th, my wish was, as always, to be healthy and find a new job because before New Year's party my project was completed. I welcome the New Year 2023 in hopes that 2023 will be a victory year for Ukraine”, says Iryna for Radio Free Europe.

It shows that she has no festive sense and that she will neither adorn her wanderings nor buys gifts, since she seems to be betraying her “country.

I realize it's a party, but the spirit doesn't let me celebrate. I look away at the decorated city and dreary because I realize that war still continues in my country of”, says Iryna.

Irynas misses her childhood happiness when she saw a Santa with a large bag of gifts near her decorated fir tree in her school. That Santa always made Irene have a single question in her mind.

I always wondered what it was. What was in the bag that he was so big”, says Iryna with her voice changed by the laughter that fills her as she remembers her childhood.

She is upset that she cannot enjoy her niece's childhood, but she is glad that at least Ukrainian people are around herself in Kosovo.

It's so good not to be alone “, says Iryna.