Ukrainian couple Lesia Shestakova, a Catholic, and Oleksandr Shestakov, an Orthodox believer, will for the first time celebrate Christmas together on Dec. 25. Ukraine, like Russia, officially observed Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7 according to the Julian calendar until Kyiv passed a law earlier this year shifting the date to Dec. 25 in line with other Western European countries. It is part of a cultural shift that is erasing traces of Russian influence as Ukraine fends off Moscow's invasion launched nearly two years ago.