Kyiv: In a stark illustration of civilian hardship amid Russia’s persistent offensive against Ukraine’s energy systems, the Davydenko family of Kyiv has emerged as a vivid symbol of resilience and adaptability. After enduring days without electricity and nearly two weeks without heating in their 12th-floor apartment, the family of five along with their pets made an extraordinary choice: they moved into their own family-run café to withstand the harsh winter cold.
When temperatures plunged to as low as minus 20 °C, nights in their unheated flat became intolerable. Parents Yuliia and Denys Davydenko, both 40, with their children Maksym (11), Tymofiy (6) and Stephanie (2), layered on winter clothes and duvets, only to find that even bundled up they could not stay warm. With no reliable source of heat at home and critical utilities failing, they packed up not only themselves but also two cats and two dogs and sought refuge elsewhere.
Their refuge was Piggy Café Kyiv, a small, family-owned café known for its seven miniature pigs that patrons can pet for comfort. What once was a quirky local business has now become a makeshift winter haven, heated by a generator and offering the warmth their apartment could no longer provide. Here, the family has laid out mattresses on the café floor, sharing the space not just with their human family members but also with their animals in a close-knit communal setting.
The children have adapted to the peculiar situation with surprising brio. Denys noted with a hint of humour that their eldest Maksym appreciates the break from household chores at the café with no dishwashing or dog-walking duties, the young boy finds the new life surprisingly appealing. Still, beneath light-hearted remarks lies a deeper truth: life in wartime Kyiv is defined by ingenuity more than comfort.
The Davydenkos’ plight reflects a broader humanitarian and infrastructure crisis across Kyiv and beyond. Systematic Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid since late 2025 have inflicted severe damage on generation and distribution infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without stable electricity, heating and water as winter tightens its grip. In Kyiv alone, more than 1,000 apartment blocks have been reported without heat, forcing residents to rely on backup generators, shared spaces or evacuation efforts.
Authorities and humanitarian groups have documented rolling outages across the capital, with grid operator Ukrenergo limiting supply to preserve what little capacity remains. Residents often experience electricity for only a few hours a day, and the absence of heat and hot water has driven many families to seek communal shelters and neighbourhood aid hubs to survive the freeze.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials have condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure as part of Russia’s broader strategy to leverage winter conditions to exert pressure on the Ukrainian population and leadership. While peace negotiations and diplomatic efforts continue, the immediate reality for many families is stark: everyday life is now a balance of endurance, resourcefulness and community solidarity.
For the Davydenkos and countless others in Kyiv, the war is not only fought on the battlefield but in the struggle to stay warm, to keep connected, and to maintain hope amidst one of the coldest, darkest winters in the city’s recent memory. Their story stands as a testament to human resilience a family’s determination to protect what they hold dear, even under the most daunting conditions.