“Warm winters represent a big change in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, the land of the Hutsuls, where Christmas customs require cold weather,” écrit The Kyiv Independent. In its report, the English-speaking newspaper returns to the village of Sokolivka, famous since 1990 for its spectacular “cities of ice”, which could last until March. These creations, depicting Christian themes and consisting of ice-carved chapels, crosses and wells, once attracted visitors from all over Ukraine.
But, for three years, these traditions have ceased, due to lack of sufficiently low temperatures. With winters now around 5°C, ice, an essential raw material, is becoming impossible to find. In 2021 and the following two winters, only an ice cross could be made in Sokolivka, the rest of the decorations having been made from birch wood.
Among the most significant traditions of the Houtsoules, a Ukrainian mountain ethnic group, the koliada occupies an important place. In 2022, during the first Christmas since the Russian invasion, this ritual brought together 5,000 people near the church where the songs begin. “A bit like in the West”, this tradition sees groups of singers go through each house in the village to celebrate the birth of Jesus through songs. In exchange, families often welcome them around a festive meal.
Between war and climate: a double punishment
Ivan Zelenchuk, 70, a physicist and local historian from Kryvorivnia in western Ukraine, remembers that when he was a child, the koliada always took place in freezing cold. “At Christmas, −30°C was a normal temperature.” Singers were often at risk of losing their voices or catching a cold.
Today, they face muddy paths in persistent rain, making their movements more difficult. Their traditional outfits, such as kojoukh – a thick woolen jacket – were replaced by lighter clothes. “These harsh winters are nothing more than a legend that the old people tell”, says Rostyslav Havryliuk, a young singer from koliada.
But for many residents, the climate takes second place. In Kryvorivnia, thirteen former singers of koliada were killed or missing at the front. Others can no longer join singing groups because they are mobilized within the army. The war in Ukraine is also making the climate crisis worse. “The fighting and the increased activity of defense industries increase carbon dioxide emissions,” explain the Kyiv Independent. According to Bohdan Kuchenko, an ecologist from the Ukrainian NGO Ecodiya, the additional emissions produced by the first two years of the conflict amount to 175 million tonnes of CO₂, more than the annual emissions of the Netherlands.
