Why district heating systems have meant a cold shock for Ukrainians arriving in Scotland

District heating systems dating from the Soviet-era were, and in some places still are, a feature of life in Russia and other former Eastern Bloc countries.

This has resulted in immigrants and refugees from countries with notoriously cold winters, such as Ukraine, suffering something of a culture shock on arrival in Scotland.

In many cases in Ukraine heating for housing is a set price and is turned on and off – automatically – by the local authorities

This means it does not cost more to keep a home warm and many Ukrainians are used to warmer temperatures at home than in Scotland.

This photograph, taken in October 2022, shows visitors eating lunch by candlelight due to a power cut at a bar in the centre of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Picture: Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images

Katerina Lisenkova, who helps run the Scotland Ukraine Host Support Group, is originally from Belarus, but has lived in Scotland for 15 years – and spends time explaining Scottish culture to new arrivals.

She said: “There is usually a district heating system in Ukraine and people don’t have any control over the temperature of their homes – it is usually 23, 24C.

“I have been here in Scotland for 15 years and I still haven’t adjusted to the temperature of Scottish homes.

“When I speak to families from Ukraine planning to come here, they are obviously first concerned with their safety. But I tell them they have to be prepared and bring warm clothes if they have them – not for outside, but for inside.”