Families prepare for another Christmas in exile

Ukrainians who found shelter in south-west England after their country was invaded by Russia are preparing to mark their third Christmas here.

Serhii Kyrychenko and his wife Ira Ternovska escaped to Cornwall with their son Denys.

Mr Kyrychenko said: "It was scary for us to just leave everything and go somewhere we don't know.

"I did not want to go," continued Ira, "but I understood I must save my son."

The couple are now settled in a flat in St Austell and are preparing for their third Christmas in exile.

There has recently been a cultural shift that helps bring the Ukrainian Christmas more in line with the British one.

Ukrainians traditionally used the Julian calendar, also favoured by Russians, which sees Christmas fall on 7 January; but some Ukrainians have now adopted the western Gregorian calendar, with Christmas falling on 25 December.

For Ukrainians, festivities begin on Christmas Eve with a vegetarian feast.

"It is tradition to make at least 12 dishes," Serhii explains. "All of them should be without meat."

Serhii went on to explain that the Ukrainian Christmas Day was very similar to the British one.

"It is allowed to eat anything you want, drink anything you want and then go and take care of your stomach."

Twelve-year-old Denys said he was looking forward to opening his presents but, for him, the big thing was simply having time off school.

Meanwhile Serhii and Ira said they would use the internet to talk to the friends and family they had to leave behind.

"It's kind of sad, you know," Serhii said reflectively.

"We can see them but we can't hug them. We can spend time with them but only with their pictures."

"I miss my brother," said Era sadly. "I miss my mother, father, friends; I miss snow.

"In Ukraine, at this time, when it snows, it is very, very beautiful".

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