For the past few days, Kyiv has been wrapped in a thick coat of ice. From tree branches to electrical cables, everything glistens in a frozen stillness. The streets and sidewalks have turned into a giant open-air ice-skating rink, causing joy for some and worried, unsure steps for clumsy people like me. Where there is enough snow, children use any support they can find – from trash bags to old-style wooden sleds – to race down the city’s many hills.