photo: Ukrzaliznytsia on Telegram/Ukrzaliznytsia and UNICEF Launched St. Nicholas Train
On December 19, the St. Nicholas Train, a joint project of Ukrzaliznytsia and UNICEF, made its first trip. Three trips of the St. Nicholas Train will bring more than 33,000 gifts to those who are waiting for them and deserve them – children in the de-occupied Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. The train will contain the "iron residence" of St. Nicholas, so in addition to gifts, it will bring a theatrical performance right in a specially equipped carriage.
"This year, the Ukrainian sky is closed for the flight of sleighs with gifts so St. Nicholas will arrive by the train of the Ukrainian Railways. This year, the railway has rescued more than 1 million children, but today, in addition to rescue, it is bringing a holiday. And this holiday will take place according to the schedule because it is for the happy eyes of our children that we continue to move as the official carrier of St. Nicholas," said the chairman of the board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia Olexandr Kamyshin.
Ukrzaliznytsia and UNICEF cooperate with civil-military administrations in this project. Realizing that not all children of the region will be able to come to the station, part of the gifts will be transferred directly to the military-civilian administration. Then they will distribute the gift sets according to the lists of children under ten years old living in the respective communities.
"Holidays are a time for joy, but this year's holiday period in Ukraine is not like any other," said Murat Shahin, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine. "The rights of 7 million Ukrainian children are violated every day. We at UNICEF are working to close the gap between children's dreams and reality. The festive train of Ukrzaliznytsia is a project very much in line with the main slogan of UNICEF, 'for every child'. This train brings hope, joy and childhood to the regions most affected by the war and where children are waiting for a miracle. More than 30,000 children in these regions will receive UNICEF school bags with school supplies, and at the same time, the opportunity to continue learning and believe in the best."
The exact time of the train's arrival may change due to security reasons and will be announced directly in the region. The arrival of the first train was expected in the Donetsk region on the morning of December 20. Also, Ukrzaliznytsia reminded the passengers about the calendar of safe Christmas holidays at the Kyiv railway station, where the newest children's zones and a medical and psychological assistance point have already been equipped in a systematic partnership with UNICEF.
Source: Ukrzaliznytsia Press Releases