New Year's arrivals

The gods of Ukrainian air defense all night from December 31 to January 1 drove in the sky of devils who wanted to kill the holiday

Warm, sunny, snowless, as if not on December 31. And the mood is at zero.

I read the news. She showed willpower: she went out, bought three pine branches in the underground crossing. Let at least the smell of the holiday appear in the house. Christmas markets, which usually occupy the area, are not around at all.

I read the news again. So now the country lives - in smartphones.

I got angry: this is exactly what they achieve from us - despondency! She turned on the music and, hesitating, a vacuum cleaner for a short while: still an extra load on the network. Energy, heroes no less than on the front line, promised: on this day and on a festive night in Kyiv and the region they will try not to turn off the light. “Additional volumes of electricity for household consumers are provided thanks to the conscious behavior of Ukrainian business and restrictions on industry. Please do not forget about the need to save electricity, ”they wrote at Ukrenergo.

Now in a supermarket. There are a lot of people, also music full of carts.

There is no excitement, which always accompanies New Year's preparations, but there is no funeral gloom such as “we will all die”.

Calm, I would say - stubborn - expressions of persons, a warning attitude towards each other.

The Ukrainian language in everyday life has become an obvious leader, especially among young people. Two aunts share the features of the preparation of a jerk with each other, but at the box office they immediately switch to Ukrainian. To speak loudly in Russian in a public place becomes indecent in default.

At 12:49, an air anxiety signal sounds: missile danger. For many, the “Kyiv digital” application has been pumped in the phones, therefore, a multiple reinforced sharp howl swims around the hall, drowning in New Year's songs.

“No one doubted, scum,” Aunt says with feeling, picking up his bag. Most people go down to the underpass near the metro. News talk about a missile attack. The previous massive shelling of Ukraine occurred on December 29. Russia released 69 missiles at the energy system, 54 of them were shot down by the air defense. And at night, drones flew to Kyiv, so it was not possible to sleep.

The origin of the deaf "bangs" was learned to be determined by ear:

- Air Defense works. Oh, and it looks like a “arrival,” the mother of a preschooler in a red jacket with a hood analyzes analyzes. - Milana, where with dirty hands? - The girl cleared Mandarin and sends one slope into her mouth. - Let's go down to the station!

Involuntarily, I compare the reaction with the one that I watched in the bomb shelter in March. It is impossible to get used to war, but to develop a rational attitude to the fact - a deadly threat can arise nearby at any moment, and we must worry about yourself - many have succeeded. The arrival is really nearby, the news agencies reported after a while, and fell into the “Temp”. This is not a military secret plant, as it might seem based on the name, but the stadium. That is, today the task of the Russian army is simple, like a Kirsis boot is stupidly spoiling the holiday.

At the Nivka metro station, a full house. Many carry folding fishing chairs from a tarpaulin: put a laptop on your knees and here you have a mobile office or cinema.

There are no problems with communication. And the fact that trains flicker nearby is even convenient: working meetings and dates are now increasingly scheduled in the subway, you will not be late. True, the movement along the central “red” branch during anxiety is limited. On the site where the metro comes to the surface, the electric trains are not allowed.

There is no end to the signal of the end. The news is bad: hits in several areas of Kyiv, one person died, a dozen two were injured. Destroyed the dear hotel "Alfavito", this is not far from the palace "Ukraine", which in peacetime gathered a baby for matinees. Glasses flew out of the windows in the palace.

I decide to ride the subway and do the right thing. On the "Theater", Christmas carols sound with might and main, the route is acting. If it is very common, this is an original Ukrainian mobile theater, where they depict a biblical plot in their own way - the Magi meets the birth of a baby of Christ, builds intrigues and grinds a damn goat, the horned goat, the audience applauds.

At the metro station "Square of Leo Tolstoy" the next concert venue. "Happy New Yir!" - The girl sings, and several couples begin to dance. The station duty officer smiles and sways with his hand in time, as if conducting a movement. The name of the area with the beginning of large -scale Russian aggression became annoying, Tolstoy, like Pushkin in Kyiv, will answer Putin. In the rating vote, the most citizens are inclined to Starokievskaya. In second place is the proposal to give her the name of Pavel Skoropadsky, the famous state and public figure, the hetman of Ukraine.

At the Maidan Independence Metro station, several Santa Morozov and Saints Nikolaev in fur coats and with staff, as it should be, distribute hotels to children. Noisy, almost fun. The Christmas tree in the capital is installed on Sofia Square, but it is impossible to drive round dances there - the Russian missile may well hit the “accumulation of enemy manpower”. They hit the central square of the liberated Kherson at the time of distribution there is humanitarian.

At 16:03 finally the hush. Home, quickly make beauty, collect gifts for friends and visit. We help the hostess set the table, read the news. At midnight we listen to the appeal of the President of Zelensky: “The explosions on February 24 were stunned. Since then we do not hear everything. And do not listen to everyone.

We were told: you have no other options, except to give up. We say: we have no other options, except to win. ”

Immediately after the anthem of Ukraine, we put a new carol for the Armed Forces “there, in Bakhmuti” - all thoughts are now next to our most expensive ones. At half -past 1, Siren howls again. No variety: the attack began with drones. Apparently, the Russians also listened to Zelensky and they really did not like it.

The house where I celebrate the New Year, in the historical center of the capital, there are embassies at every step. Apartment in the attic. Through the ceiling windows you can see how bright flashes explode in the black sky and thunder rumbles immediately. The gods of Ukrainian air defense destroy small vile devils. Beautiful and terrible sight.

The alarm lasts until dawn. But through the 2022nd country broke through. We pour Okokko - for victory.

Kyiv