Watch: War-torn Ukraine goes nostalgic, shares glimpses of last year's sparkling Christmas

As Christmas approaches, Ukrainians cannot help but reminisce about the time when the wintry holiday illuminated Ukraine, its people, and its sky-rise structures. Today, Ukraine witnesses devastation all around, from ravaged buildings to grieving civilians. While the war may not allow Ukrainians to fully rejoice in the Christmas spirit like before, they have turned to social media to show the world a pre-war Ukrainian Christmas. 

A video shared on Twitter displays the snow-clad Ukrainian city of Mariupol adorned in sparkly Christmas decorations, reindeer installations, and locals ice-skating. Sharing the clip, the Twitter user wrote: “Today is the first day of winter and I want you to watch this video of Christmas #Mariupol as it was a year ago, when the city and its residents didn’t yet know what awaited them in 2 months.”

The video has garnered over 527,000 views and more than 800 comments. Reacting to it, one user wrote: “This is one of the things that Ukrainians are fighting for.” Another user added, “A beautiful, modern city preparing to celebrate Christmas, just under a year ago, is now a rubble strewn ruin bereft of power, clean water and food. The insanity of Putin’s actions are no more clearly demonstrated than in what he wrought upon Mariupol.”

Social media floods with pictures of Christmas in Ukraine

“Merry Christmas to all who live, lived & lost in this once beautiful city. We're thinking of you,” a third user said, referencing to how the port city has now been 90% destroyed by Russian shelling, as per Ukrainian officials. Other similar images shared on the microblogging platform feature Ukrainian cities sprawling with locals who walk amid festive decorations that light up the region in shades of gold. One of the images displays the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, specifically a scene from its Christmas market that was set up in front of St. Sophia Cathedral.

The pictures surface as Ukraine battles rising Russian aggression even after more than nine months since the war broke out. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia might be devising evil plans to target southern parts of Ukraine. “Despite extremely big Russian losses, the occupiers are still trying to advance in the Donetsk region, gain a foothold in the Luhansk region, move in the Kharkiv region, they are planning something in the south," he said in a nightly address.