[Kyiv Kyodo]On the 8th of “International Women’s Day”, many men were seen buying bouquets from female relatives and acquaintances in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia. However, many women, children and the elderly have fled the country, and some flower shops lament that the number of people buying flowers has plummeted. Even on a day that should normally be full of celebration, the dark shadow of war has fallen.
On the 8th, flower shops in the center of Kyiv, the capital, have been busy since the morning. Yelena Antonova, 59, has been selling flowers in an underground passage leading to a metro station for 35 years.
Since it is usually a holiday, the day before the festival is flooded with men looking to buy flowers for their female co-workers. But under martial law, it’s not officially a “holiday,” so it’s relatively quiet, but there was a steady stream of men buying flowers.
According to Ukraine’s general mobilization decree, males between the ages of 18 and 60 are, in principle, prohibited from leaving the country. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 8.1 million Ukrainians had fled to Europe as of Thursday, with many separated families.
