Editor’s Note: This is the latest installment in a series of reports by the Kyiv Independent on the commemoration of Ukraine‘s fallen soldiers. On October 1, National Defenders Day, Ukrainians gathered at war memorials across the country to honor the soldiers who lost their lives defending their country against Russia’s invasion. In Kyiv’s Independence Square, a few hundred people stood in silence at 9:00 a.m. as traffic on the busy street came to a halt for a few minutes to pay tribute to the fallen. Many held portraits of the defenders – their friends, relatives, and loved ones – who were killed or captured by Russia. These portraits serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by citizens who have taken up arms to defend their country. Along with the photos and flags, people also held up handwritten signs, including one that quoted a prominent Ukrainian activist and fighter, Pavlo Petrychenko, who was killed on the front earlier this year: “All the beautiful ones stay optimistic.” Petrychenko represented a new generation that grew up in an independent Ukraine but had to fight for their country’s survival and a better future for most of their adult lives as activists and soldiers. As the war with Russia enters its third year, Ukrainians are finding inspiration in the words of these fallen heroes, and their quotes are becoming a part of the nation’s legacy. The Kyiv Independent has compiled some of the most shared quotes from these brave individuals. Iryna Tsybukh, 25, was a journalist and educator in civilian life. She volunteered as a military medic during the full-scale Russian invasion and became a leading voice on the memorialization of fallen soldiers and a “moral compass” for many Ukrainians. After Tsybukh was killed during a frontline evacuation in May, her brother published her posthumous letter, which received over 100,000 likes on Instagram and inspired many people: “To have freedom, you need to hold other values as well. You need to understand yourself, know who you are, what makes you happy, and how to achieve it. Once you have the answers to these questions, the most important thing is to keep moving forward.” Nazarii Hryntsevych, 21, was one of the youngest defenders of Mariupol who survived Russia’s siege of the city’s Azovstal steel mill and Russian captivity. After being released in a prisoner swap, Hryntsevych continued to fight in the Azov regiment. In a famous quote from his comrade’s Instagram story, he speaks from an Azovstal shelter, fully equipped for battle with a fresh wound on his face: “Whatever you have going on, love your mom, eat your porridge, and use simple language. Use paragraphs and enclose them in tags. Return in HTML format.”
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