Nikolai Pastuchenko makes the sign of the cross while taking a dip in the Dnipro River in Dnipro, Ukraine, on Thursday.
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Nikolai Pastuchenko makes the sign of the cross while taking a dip in the Dnipro River in Dnipro, Ukraine, on Thursday.
Claire Harbage / NPR
“Do it fast and don’t scream,” thought Nikolai Pastushenko, 34, as he waded into the ice-cold waters of the river that flows through the center of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. He made the sign of the cross on his bare chest and then he sank. Once. Twice. Three times. His mind went blank.
Pastushenko was one of about three dozen people who descended on the site along the Dnipro River for the plunge, a tradition across Ukraine – and Russia – on January 19. The religious ties of this annual ice swim are loose. Ukrainian Orthodox Church spoke out against itincluding a Facebook post this week that said, “there is no religious reason for winter water immersion and never has been.”
People gathered in small groups to wade into the icy waters of the Dnipro River to mark the Christian feast of Epiphany on Thursday.
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People gathered in small groups to wade into the icy waters of the Dnipro River to mark the Christian feast of Epiphany on Thursday.
Claire Harbage / NPR
A man takes a dip in the water on Thursday in Dnipro.
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A man takes a dip in the water on Thursday in Dnipro.
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But anyway it became a tradition and persisted despite the war.
“Of course, this year doesn’t feel like a holiday – you’re not in a festive mood,” says Pastushenko, who is meeting some of his friends here to dive in together. “It’s just a reason to get together and be more united.” Feeling light, if only for a moment, is especially important right now, he says, give recent events in Dnipro. “We just need a little distraction from what’s going on. Not to have fun, but to think about something else, to shift your attention to something else.”
Ice on the Dnipro River gathers in front of an empty recreation area in winter.
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Ice on the Dnipro River gathers in front of an empty recreation area in winter.
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The men took turns in and out of the river for most of the Thursday morning.
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The men took turns in and out of the river for most of the Thursday morning.
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This year, the crowds are much less. Mass gatherings have been banned in some cities, including Kharkiv, although many smaller gatherings still take place across the country.
At Dnipro, near the marina, there is a small rocky beach, so you don’t have to wait in line so you don’t have to wait in line. Yulia, 43, confidently waded in while her friend took a photo. “It feels great,” she said as she showed up. She does not share her last name for privacy reasons. When she was little, she watched her parents do it and she’s been coming here on her own for the past seven years. She felt it was important to come this year. “You want to preserve what was before, especially this year,” she said. “It gives you a sense of normalcy – that everything is fine. That’s what we’re all lacking right now.”
Left side: Nikolai Pastushenko, 34, stands by the river after plunging. Correct: Stanislav Bazhenov, 22, a soldier off combat in Soledar, Ukraine, warms up after taking a dip in the river with friends.
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Left side: Nikolai Pastushenko, 34, stands by the river after plunging. Correct: Stanislav Bazhenov, 22, a soldier off combat in Soledar, Ukraine, warms up after taking a dip in the river with friends.
Claire Harbage / NPR
Pastuchenko put his shoes back on after plunging into the Dnipro River on Thursday.
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Pastuchenko put his shoes back on after plunging into the Dnipro River on Thursday.
Claire Harbage / NPR
During the years when the river was completely frozen, people jumped into a hole cut into the shape of a cross. But a warm winter has caused the Dnipro River to almost thaw, although chunks of ice have washed ashore as a reminder that even if the water isn’t frozen, it’s still pretty cold.
Groups of friends gather in bathing suits and towels, plan games and decide who goes first. A man named Roman jogged in place, then did a few push-ups before announcing it was time for him to come in.
Jenny Otkydach dived into the river on Thursday.
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Jenny Otkydach dived into the river on Thursday.
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Ice blocks float in the water, sometimes gathering in small crevices along the riverbanks.
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Ice blocks float in the water, sometimes gathering in small crevices along the riverbanks.
Claire Harbage / NPR
Many people here have been doing this for years and are less concerned with washing away their sins and more concerned with the idea of a new beginning, a clean mind, and a fresh start as they begin. New Year.
Stanislav Bazhenov, 22, who is serving in the Ukrainian army and is on leave for the next week before returning to the fighting in Soledar, explains: “It helps you understand a little better.” “You take a dip in the water and you get this pleasant feeling – like freedom, you know?” He confirms that a dip in the water is like little daggers all over your body – but in a relaxing way. “It’s hard to describe,” he said. “You just have to do it yourself.”
Otkydach’s husband greeted her with a towel in one hand, and their nearly 2-year-old daughter in the other.
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Otkydach’s husband greeted her with a towel in one hand, and their nearly 2-year-old daughter in the other.
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Hanna Palamarenko
