Hopes and fears

Kyiv's Christmas market is set up in the shadow of the city's iconic St Sophia's cathedral. A giant glistening fir tree towers next to the golden domes. Families, young couples, pensioners, and a few off-duty soldiers wander the illuminated stalls in search of the festive spirit.

There are young ladies in Santa Claus costumes, a funfair, and traders selling a selection of traditional snacks and hot drinks - the warmth welcome in the sub-zero temperatures. But no one here seems to mind the cold. Ukrainians everywhere are gearing up to celebrate New Year and their Orthodox Christmas that follows it. It is a timely distraction from the country's troubles, because there has been little to cheer about in 2014.

"A year which was a turning point, the most difficult year for the country for the past 75 years, since 1945," said President Petro Poroshenko at his end-of-year press conference. "The year was hard for everyone, for Ukraine, for Europe, and for the world as a whole."

Ukraine's turbulent year began with the Maidan revolution in full swing, which concluded in bittersweet victory for the protesters. Many lives were lost, and celebrations were short-lived, as the swift annexation of Crimea by Russia followed in March.

Escalation

Shortly afterwards, the slow takeover of parts of eastern Ukraine started. An unlikely bunch of rag-tag separatists stormed government buildings one by one in key cities, such as Donetsk and Luhansk, steadily consolidating power. By May, the Ukrainian government was beginning to fight back and the crisis escalated into a full-blown conflict, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of providing the rebels with support. A ceasefire implemented in September calmed the situation only slightly, but sporadic fighting continued. As of today, with peace talks again on hold, both sides remain in a position to resume all-out war, as the humanitarian situation worsens amid plummeting temperatures.

Ilona, from Mariupol, a city that has changed hands between rebel and Ukrainian government forces several times this year, is at the market in Kyiv trying to find some fun for her children. There has been little enjoyment in her home city, which remains threatened by a rebel front line not far from the center. "In our city everything is complicated and very dangerous," she told DW. "The whole year has been an anxious time, so in the New Year I would like them all to calm down and to bring the country back to peace. I want people to be kind to each other, and most importantly, I want everyone to be a little happy."

Ruslan Karavansky, a Ukrainian soldier who recently fought in the east, is collecting donations at the market to help poorly-resourced troops on the front lines. He is bitter about the year drawing to a close. "The government has forgotten about us, all the citizens," he says. "Poroshenko does not help either the soldiers or the needy, including the elderly. It only reduces pensions."

Struggling economy

Ukrainians are feeling the pinch as the country remains in the grip of an economic crisis. In the early hours of Monday morning, parliament passed an unpopular austerity bill that will mean more tough times ahead. The government also faces huge problems with an energy shortfall this winter and it has seen its currency devalue by 50 percent in a matter of months.

Olga, from Kyiv, says she already feels disillusioned with the new government, which only came into power this year. "I think that the government that we have now did not meet our expectations and we have to come together to change it again, so I think that a lot of changes lie ahead in 2015," she says. "This is not the end. Yes, everything will be hard, and everyone will have to tighten their belts."

Olga is sitting on a sleigh with her friend Elena, drinking mulled wine and listening to loud Christmas songs. In the light-hearted atmosphere of the market, the pair find some optimism about the coming year. "We still have a hope that everything is going to be all right," says Elena. "We just need to think that everything is going to be all right. It's all in the mind. I think what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think we need to do everything with a smile. Be positive. So we wish you a Happy New Year."