chasiv yar lyudmila gaidai celebrated east wind last twelvemonth children around kitchen table russian forces beat out town east ukraine heavily church closed year everyone fled cluttered darkened kitchen windows covered fluttering plastic sheets nonetheless set humble traditional easter cake wish everything would end could real easter remainder explosions war said pitch voice rising tears well supreme being knows told afp journalists sentence punctuated dull thuds outgoing incoming artillery just about neighbourhood chasiv yar celebrations year easter sacred holiday orthodox calendar point toll union of soviet socialist republics basis invasion believers donetsk realm outside pocketsized church sloviansk town dotted signs conflict ukrainian soldiers laid wicker baskets sausages decorated eggs held candles waited blessed rescue workers nearby still cut into civilians buried russian missile barrage killed dozen residents apartment bloc air raid sirens wailing around two 12 men women uniform gathered row priest souse holy water elderly women shuffled behind singing hymns harmony candle fell turn over shelling intense candle fell hand picked retain pray said father mykola tell assail deuce days earlier happened last year would probably hiding shelter added reflecting residents adapting kremlin frontlet assault president volodymyr zelensky congratulated ukraine orthodox believers saying celebrate easter holiday unshakable faith victory ukrainian soldiers sloviansk reality brutality war shaken spiritually tried natalia melnyk said answering afp journalists whether believes god service god military separate believe people added central zhytomyr region served ukrainian military five long time russia invasion ukraine left tens thousands deadened displaced millions torn apart towns cities across country institute religious freedom advocacy group recently said nearly religious buildings damaged hostilities authorities meanwhile advised residents donetsk region avoid graveyards yr giving demining teams time sweep several kilometre sloviansk afp diarist weekend saw sign warning explosives measure leading convent village bogorodychne shelling preside hamlet hill remains russian orthodox church one towers toppled ground palisade gouged missile pristine paries scabbed shrapnel yevgeny one occupant returned idyllic village sounds life chirping birds roll dogs barking recounted afp diary keeper church nearby buildings destroyed last may sheltering basement hit still blast knocked back various metres across room came smoke bricks concrete feeling see scary course former adjacent day left village forest next monastery said every year peace celebrated easter course ca go added cernuous destroyed remains christian church behind garden ca open go sloviansk shelling serious stay home