Famous Christmas carol inspires Ukraine's defenders

Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine is the birthplace of one of the world's favorite carols.

But there are few signs of Christmas in the city this year. Just a dusting of snow on the deserted streets and meager buildings, and the sound of constant heavy bombing.

Pokrovsk is Russia's next target. Its forces are now less than two miles (three kilometers) from the city center.

It is not only buildings and homes that are being destroyed. Ukraine accuses Russia of trying to erase its cultural identity as well, including its connection to that famous hymn.

Most of Pokrovsk's population has already fled. Gas supplies have been cut off and many homes are without electricity and water. Those who stayed, like 59-year-old Ihor, only broke cover to find the basics. He says it's like living on a powder keg: you never know when or where the next bomb will land.

Oksana, 43, says she is too afraid to leave her home, but goes out during the cessation of bombing to find firewood and charcoal to keep warm.

She told me she hopes the Ukrainian armed forces will be able to hold on to the city, but she thinks that's unlikely. She says Pokrovsk will likely fall.

The city has already prepared for the worst. The statue of its famous composer Mykola Leontović has already been removed. The music school that bears his name is now closed and empty.

Leontovich may not be well known in the West. But the tune he composed is familiar all over the world – with its ring-like songs. Leontovich is believed to have written the first notes for the piece, based on a Ukrainian folk hymn, while living and working in Pokrovsk between 1904 and 1908.

In Ukraine it is known as Shedrick. It became known in most parts of the world as Carol of the Bells, after American composer Peter Wilhosky wrote the song's English lyrics. The use of the tune in the Hollywood film Home Alone helped boost its popularity.

Victoria Ametova calls it “a masterpiece – the signature song of Pokrovsk.” Until recently, she also taught music in the city, at the school named after Leontovich.

You have now moved to the relative safety of Dnipro. It is a place where many former residents of Pokrovsk still try to keep memories of their former home alive.

Beneath a rescued photo of Leontović, Viktoria watches 13-year-old Anna Hašić playing the chords of a familiar hymn on the piano.

The Hasic family fled Pokrovsk this summer. But they are determined not to forget the place they still call home. Yulia, Anna's mother, says she is happy to see her daughters playing Shedrick. “We will not forget the history of our city,” she says.

For Anna, the tune brings back memories. “When I played it at home, it sounded happy. It reminded me of winter and Christmas,” she says. “Now it's become a sad song for me because it reminds me of home, and I really want to go back.”

But for one Ukrainian military division, Shchedryk became a song to inspire resistance. They even play it in the trenches, using weapons as improvised instruments.

They may be musicians, but their leader reminds me that they are soldiers first. They have all spent time on the front lines. Colonel Bohdan Zadorozhny, head and commander of the band, says that the song helps raise the morale of the soldiers. “Those beats and rhythms cheer up the men on the front lines and inspire them to fight,” he says.

22-year-old Roman uses a rice-filled rocket launcher casing to vigorously shake to the music. He says Shedrick is “the pride of our country. It's freedom. It's in our souls. I get goosebumps from this song.”

Colonel Zadorozhny says Shedrick shows that Ukraine is a civilized country that is now at war, fighting for its identity.

Pokrovsk may fall into Russian hands. But its people are doing everything they can to preserve their culture and identity.

Angelina Rozhkova, director of the Pokrovsk History Museum, rescued and moved to safety most of his valuables – including artefacts from Leontovich's life in Pokrovsk.

She says that Russia not only wants to seize Ukrainian lands, but “it wants to destroy our culture and everything that is precious to us.”

Angelina says the people of Pokrovsk realize they may never return, “but our hearts and souls cannot accept it.” Hence, they do everything they can to preserve the past. The new slogan is “Saving and Saving Equals Winning”.

It's hard to say you won when your city is destroyed. But its people, like Leontovich's music, show extraordinary flexibility.

Leontovich's life came to an abrupt end in 1921 when he was shot by a Soviet agent. Its composition became a symbol of the struggle for the independence of Ukraine. It still is.

Additional reporting by Hannah Kurnos and Anastasia Levchenko