Ukraine weighs heavy on minds in Moscow as New Year holiday nears
The Christmas markets are in full swing and gleaming ice sculptures greet visitors to Gorky Park, but some Muscovites admit they are struggling to feel festive ahead of traditional New Year celebrations, News.az reports UNIAN.
In street interviews in the centre of the capital, some also said they were noticing the scarcity of Western goods this year as they shopped for food and gifts.
Asked if the 10-month conflict in Ukraine was affecting her mood, one woman, Maria, replied without hesitation.
"Directly. Yes. It is difficult to be cheerful when you understand that people out there are going through such awful times," she said on a visit to Gorky Park one recent evening.
"To be honest with you, there is always hope that things will improve, but it seems like it won't get better," she added with a rueful smile.
Ivan, a man interviewed nearby, referred obliquely to the conflict but said he would still celebrate.
"A holiday remains a holiday. Even though some of our comrades are doing things somewhere I would rather they would not be doing, this is still a holiday for children, for grandparents. And it should remain so," he said.
New Year's Day is Russia's main seasonal holiday, while Orthodox believers also celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7.
This year, reminders of the Ukraine conflict are inescapable. The Latin letters Z, V and O - symbols adopted by the Russian military - are brightly illuminated near the entrance to the famous park.
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