discriminatory regulations prevented ukrainian women from working in traditionally male professionals. the war has changed every single ah, what secrets lie behind these walls? discover new adventures in 360 degrees. and explore fascinating world heritage sites. d w world heritage 360. get out now. with hello and welcome to a special edition of focus on europe. we're bringing you some of our favorite stories of the year from the people who inspired us and perhaps even changed our

view of the world. after all, the new year offers us an opportunity to come at life with a new perspective. we begin in italy with bruno fair in a man who has fun for a living. he owns an amusement park with a roller coaster ferris wheel. the works. an entrance is free even during the energy crisis that is forcing other businesses to curtail production or even close . so how does bruno keep the wheels turning at his park in northern italy? well, he doesn't pay for electricity because he doesn't need it. bruno is park is powered with good, old fashion. elbow grease ah, the roller conveyor the hum back cause the wheel of death. mm. there are just a few of the $37.00 attractions at the amusement park. i p o p, italian for under the poplars. and it was all built by this man delivery they,

they did stretch her legs out in front of you. straigten them out. yes. that's it. made to now otherwise your lan with your nose on the rubber. because in apparently from not only all mental bruna for in is 85 years old, he built his 1st swing here half a century ago. i hear her message from the georgia. it's always a joy to come here and see what i built up and 50 years. i value. it's a great feeling to be able to say about your own life. and i made all my dreams come true. therefore have you imagine that you are a hula hooping, a song or l. exactly, peter, whose dream began with a restaurant in 1969 boon ethylene fell in love with this piece of fight. as his wife served wine and sausages under the populace, he started building swings. he taught himself everything. every dilemma variable. that even ago, i only ever went to elementary school,

but i've always understood number's opinion. it comes naturally to me on working out weights and counter wait for my attractions. maybe i left here while my you know what without horse, i make mistakes at times and have to adjust the right that they're too heavy. or if the slope isn't right, probably name built all of all of it out a lot or if everything special about printer for ins, park is that none of the attractions require electricity. they use the laws of physics and the muscle power of visitors. the newest attraction is the carousel. he had the idea, fred, after watching a tv report about a training facility for nasa astronaut euro, this carousel is powered by these bicycles operated by visitors when you peddle the carousel spins, the faster it spins, the more that centrifugal force increases, causing the seed frames to move backwards from the center of ah,

while other than these men parks face closer d to rising electricity costs buena for in is forging ahead and planning for the future. ah, also my, the energy prices are through the roof. so i'm thinking of installing dynamos on every ride to harness the energy from all the equipment moving around. that's my plan, but i applied on a large scale. that idea would foil the strategies of some world lead is. i boarding hootin wouldn't be very happy at a park like mine because of everything work like this. he could no longer sell gas to italy. your house. yeah. there have been no accidents in the decades long history of his pock buena fearing says nothing escapes him. no, and a jo, i sit down young man little dog, come on horseback. there's got you need to sit down because it's dangerous. no he no,

you think they don't read the signs really bad. that's how italians are the void in germany. signs are law, but here in italy, they're optional. maybe i'll read them. maybe not. that's how it works in italy, we're allowed to go around $50000.00 visitors come to the park every year. it's open only on weekends and entry is free. bruno for, in believes it shouldn't matter how much money you have. everyone should have the right to have fun. most visitors buy something to eat and drink in his restaurant, making the business sustainable. even at 85, he still pitching in everywhere he can. he says the freedom to do what he loves has kept him young men federal. ah, i believe it is. it's a beautiful way to live. depending on my mood each day, i decide what to do, isn't that great? my dears, that's the poetry of life given i read that was,

that was one that he's devoted to his amusement park. the freedom of choice is something many of us take for granted for others. it's an uphill battle, victoria. he coy isn't letting such challenges stop her from achieving her goals. she's fighting for her dream job as a train driver in ukraine. what up until a few years ago, women were banned from working in the profession. but the war in ukraine has seen women taking on roles typically reserved for men, trains have become a lifeline for people in the country. and victoria is playing a crucial role in the war effort each time she starts work is a moment of validation for victoria k coy. she's ukraine's 1st female trained co driver. until recently sexy regulations banned women from the job. it was

considered risky to their reproductive health. now in the war, it really is dangerous. for every one on the trains. all of us going, what i level of washcloth living hard mentally and physically because you very often hear the air raid siren a ye accused that a war i've even seen when missiles head of a dollar. why should they? yeah, we try to suppress these emotions and continue our work because it's not just about our lives of those that are what are the lives of the passengers sitting behind us also depend on us. she said she was the she it, it is not what it says. i must, must been m victoria had to try many times before she could even study for her dream, john. yeah, the elizabeth is baja. thought when i was applying to many universities and colleges and asking if they could teach me them all of their propellers from lind. everyone said the same thing is sima. yi casala know you're a woman that need, that was it. so when they had mobile, i didn't give a moment of shannon was ugly,

amused gazelle at that then, and one school said they did not have the right to refuse me. would that be what time they could not promise that i would ever work in this profession. i did get the what is a laugh and we now have you say mom should leave for jumping up was not a bundle. but by the time she graduated at the old soviet iraq ban on women doing suit, jobs had been dropped. victoria started as a co driver, a few months before russia invaded in february buffalo, adequate attention. passengers. our destination is rebeca station on time of departure from keith is 18. 27 william. there's a lot to do. update log books, checked the speed of the train. the signals, the electrical contact line and speak to passengers. and if something were to happen to the driver she'd have to take over chilly keys by chance. oh, but she said to law at the beginning,

men treated me suspiciously because they didn't believe that we can do the same jobs that they can't get to law douglas led even his lamb of upon the you can get of what the issue can and women also didn't think that in our patriarchal society, we could take on such positions, jacqueline, or just chat them. wars as a lot that by avenue that keep asada, ukraine's women are becoming more visible everywhere. hugley, thank. when expert on gender study says, the necessities of war are changing, society? oh, yeah, because also seems like it's an interconnected process. i did have meaning that women who are on the front line become role models for civilian women, emotional, but also those women in the military. they want to see examples of women in civilian professions. they won't examples of women in traditionally male professions outside of the military. so you're always stuck numbers were when the variables of civilian only anna also wants to be part of that process. she

graduated in economics, but 2 years ago decided to join the army as well and is now an active duty. she served in the key for region at the start of the war when the russians try to invade the capital. although they've looked, i set up checkpoints prepared molotov cocktails, helped order medicine, helped elderly people. it was a mixture of both military and civilian task is going on. she says she feels it's important for women to serve in the military to break gender cliches. but she says, civilian women who want to volunteer are being turned away. why men are taken on. alexa, if you'll just show up at a conscription office and tell them that you want to serve, no one will take you. if you have no experience, they simply won't believe in you. it's probably part of the skeptical attitude towards women where scott, fitness always is, you know, back on to train it. slight. victoria's shift will be at least 12 hours to day

other let them narrow trains have become a vital form of transport in this war. and there's never enough staff nobody. he cares whether it's a man or a woman in charge saline. just it doesn't make any difference at all. it, no singer is the same to me if it's a man or woman, as long as we can do the job. genie on the syllabus, palazzo irritable death, eyebrows are victoria sat, she will still need to push hard to make it from the co driver to driver. that top job is still done by a man one more sheer born. it's been that it hasn't completely changed yet. we still need a lot more time. ah. yeah. yeah. we need to raise a new generation. a young generation with the idea that women have the same rights as ma'am has. it's like it's hillary game i think is fatima victoria is pushing through the unknown. but she says there is

a brighter future for ukrainian women. one day, she will become a trained driver. while victoria is building a future in her homeland for sabrina rossi, that's simply not possible. she had to flee her native country of afghanistan or the taliban enforce shuree a law. public executions have recently resumed and women's rights are dismal. sabrina's life was in danger, simply because soccer is her passion. a quitting was not an option for sabrina or her teammates. so together they headed to britain, the birthplace of the beautiful game in leeds. they finally have a real shot at life on an even playing field. for bria, not rosie can play soccer again at last. in afghanistan, she was captain of the junior team, but they were all forced to flee. she's living in northern england now.

there was play football. i think i'm very happy, but i don't have any following that met life. this is no longer possible in her home country. she's too well known there. she co founded the 1st women's soccer team and had ot in western afghanistan, a sport forbidden to women. and i, i think i'm severely i i now i am so happy because it all then neil, i am faith. i can't go to football. i can even walk when the taliban came back to power. so brianna rosie was forced into hiding. she didn't leave her home for 10 days. the tale,

bon consider soccer players like her to be infidels, and she risked her life to escape. she was scared to death when she handed her papers over to the taliban at the border. taylor that he treated me horribly. he opened the gate, i was out of my bag and pushed me towards the direction i should walk as got. he said there was a knock. go and don't come back because if you do the only our government will kill allah. no leg mohammed from arkansas syncron. sabrina. no rosy struggle before the taliban came back to power. she was even beaten up but she'd persevered enough to enjoy success and participated in international tournaments. drawing even more negative attention. magda was better than i thought they tried to kidnap me twice. idea i asked once they tried to staff me in the battle was on an ass forced, but someone helped me while i'm young,

the fighting mac, so only the tip of the knife hit my side of the panel. no matter what. cutting my lower abdomen re yags every parliament, choctaw, soccer player, kalita paul knows which abriya and her team have been through. she helped them and their families escaped. procuring british thesis for a total of $130.00 people a visit to the soccer museum in manchester, where they learned how english women to had to fight for their rights. ah, i mean going to the history of english, how women's football and their band and the history of like how the if i bonded it's very much like it's a 100 years ago. and it's very similar like hearing dad and also seeing the object . it's very similar to our story, like today's story. the women of afghanistan is bang for playing football just

because they are women. ringback ringback ringback ringback sabrina talks on the phone with her mother in law in afghanistan, although she tell sabrina that women to day are receiving threats just for going to the market on their own. oh, well actually, well i know that the terror catches up with sabrina in england too. she has nightmares about the taliban trying to kill her. i love it so that her team and her love of the sport help her to cope with it all. i like football because all the get together but to get a passing shooting and that is very amazing. for me, but when that gets a goal, you saw, oh god god, i like it, that goes mostly. yes, i'm somebody i'm hoping for a professional career because soccer to her means one thing above all

freedom and freedom on the ground up in the air engineer john, but piece lieu of the lay fields at home, soaring through the clouds. and unlike most other pilots, he doesn't need to refuel. his blither is powered by the sun and wind. the french inventor has flown several thousands of kilometers this year, and he's confident that his technology can one day be used for larger planes. so could the future of air travel be powered by mother nature? take a look. ah, lives in the real, it's my dream to travel as far as i want without polluting our planet. and i feel like we're on our way there is just wonderful. well, human jombateeste was lay has been in the air for 5 hours and he's covered 220 kilometers to day would when he must be back there. ah,

there is lost lay is on the 15th leg of his airborne tour to false. he's landing in coyer in the south of the country. the tour is intended to promote his project wings for the planet. with what what a flight. the adventurer and engineer quit his job to focus exclusively on his solar powered glider. his invention draws curious onlookers wherever he goes, and they want to know how it works. mike later takes off on it soon with this propeller. it may seem small, but it's a meter across in diameter. remember, it's powered by batteries and they are charged by the solar cells on the wings. normally, both blah or charlotte valleys in does have, has to do was lay, spend 3 years working on the glider and put all his savings into the prototype. and

chris, when it comes on coin for women, i'm impressed. it's very smooth. here. he completely integrated the solar cells into the wings. she has in yellow sheet bureaus. i'm an engineer and a pilot, and i have an idea of how much work went into this. i think it's fantastic. it makes you dream of a dream of climate friendly flight without emitting a single gram of c o 2. it's already had only out to see that he can fly. don't know the law of he is preparing for the next leg of the tour with a glove for what its role the engineer loves, nature and technology. he used to work, designing underwater robots. once near the south pole. he watched a young albatross in flight. it's delivered albatrosses in flight. are fabulous. some of the inspired me of it. i said i wanted to fly like them one they usually of them are going to come. so it's basically this year,

last lay is touring france by air. more than 2000 kilometers. it's how he imagines the future of travel or total. i'm currently 7000 feet above mon. so michelle, many in the aeronautics industry think he's out of his mind. lost lay is convinced that even jumbo jets will one day fly powered by the sun alone emission free z if go avoid. of course, it's hard to imagine a boeing or air bus with solar cells. but modern photovoltaic cells harnessed just 20 percent of the energy only because in 10 to 20 years or it might be 40 or 60 percent. all this was on performance because the cleans might be traveling out just for 100 kilometers an hour instead of $800.00. but that's enough for domestic flood . walsman law is ms. recipient is sheila film during take off in koya dawns lay demonstrates his intention. conventional gliders need a winch or

a motorized plane to start and a lot of energy but was lay makes it up into the air on his own. by by my glee, my to the phones is almost over for the aviation pioneer is already planning his tour of europe to get even more people on board with the dream. a flying with the power of the sun approaching life with a glass half full attitude is perhaps on your list of new year's resolutions. but in the finish town of for lanka, optimism is not on the agenda. for years now, the population has been shrinking and the town in decline. so these 2 fins, santori and oscar, we decided to do something about it there. embracing the pessimistic spirit for the greater good of their town. ah,

this pump closed long ago and all that's left of this shots inventory are 2 chairs. as you enter town, there's a sign that reads you are entering polanko. there's still time to turn around for longer, it's a small dine town in the middle of finland with the remaining population of just $2400.00. most of whom are over 60 young people tend to move away from while long come in. but these 2 are staying true to their home town or scary uncertainty of the local pessimists society. and it's their pessimism that's raised hope for a new beginning. oh, we are, we have accept the fact that we cannot revive. it's not something we,

you know, feel sad about it. we try to find the funny side of it. people can. we can joke about people who love, who sort of be like like this. yeah, my wife why, why you can ask why you couldn't smile. you are busy and it's precisely these 2 self professed pessimists who brought some cause for optimism to polanko. the pessimists. cafe does good business tourists buy t shirts and buttons with pessimistic messages in the shop. next door, we go x x out a group. together with friends, oscar, he also made self deprecating and ironic music videos about polanko. the 2 pessimists had brought a small town, a cult following infant lint. no vixen, it's funny. typical finish you medical for my life by that even a very low seminar on a lot is a t shirt says you're,

i'm cross to de la and that's okay. i'm a social security just informed me that my pensions to be res, 3 percent really? that's 2 whole more euro's a month. years ago. like i said, all the facts speak against a bright future. for the town. the population has dropped by over half since the 1980s. and every year it falls a bit more. the town still has its schools, day care centers and a retirement home. the question is, who still wants to live deep in the forest to finland? lake but it's mayor says, nature is precisely what makes polanko so great. the pessimism campaign has only enhanced the popularity of his town. he is convinced that soon the population will start increasing again. now will relieve that more and more people will want to move to areas, withers, pristine nature, lots of room to live. and we've got plenty of room and they need to be exact. we

have one square kilometer per personally. so you don't have to worry about the neighbors that will address 8 them, make the be us an old retirement home, la, scotty and santa. the actually insist that they're among the happiest people in polanko right now. and in the world, happiness report. the fins have been named the happiest people on earth for the 5th year in a row. i think the pessimism thing fits really well in the people don't expect a lot, so they are happy with less. and if we truly had like very serious problems, maybe we wouldn't do fun, things like pessimism and put our time and effort to it may be research like do something else. mm. pessimism has become palinkas trademark, but will that preserve it from its demise? at least its people are giving it a go, with a touch of optimism and a good chunk of humor. well, whether your glass is half full or empty, hears to

a new year with good health, love, and laughter. despite the challenges of 2022, we hope you enjoy our special program. be sure to visit our website. that's d w dot com for more of our stories. on behalf of the whole team here at focus on europe. thanks so much for your company today. see you soon. ah, ah, ah ah, with

who a into the conflict. the conflict in ukraine is only one of the was vladimir putin who's fighting, who didn't chief target in russia has been alex and me my guess this week, your next solemn london is one of the valleys associates, email,

a shortcut. the group is naming and shaming thousands as officials supporting the ukraine. but how far will that dent hooton's power conflict zone? even 90 minutes on d. w. now we've got some hot tips for your bucket list. ah, magic corner check. hot spot for food check and some great cultural, laborious to boot d, w. travel off we go all the question over more questions about life, the universe and everything to you? the answer, weldon, give it here. the answer to almost everything. our documentary series with clever, crazy and ground breaking questions. can we go into the after life or are

we getting dumber? how can we feed every 1? 42. the answer to almost everything. starts january 15 on d w. what do you think? what you get for 50 such for 50, said oh no, a lot with thinking coffee bells and all the lot for so did you know it cost $0.50 to feed one hungry child for one full day a day in the said, oh, with the share the meal and you could share your meal with children in need with just $0.50 and

a tap on your smartphone. smartphone users out number hungry children by 20 to imagine the impact you and your friends can have. together, we can end global hunger. please download the app ah, ah, ah ah, this is the w news coming to line from berlin, multiple explosions, rock, ukraine's capital chip with a fresh wave of rush and strikes also hits cities nationwide. moscow unleashes more than a 100 missiles targeting critical.