Themes by tag: dead

On March 30, as the third anniversary of Bucha’s liberation from russian occupiers approaches, the Kyiv region city will host a series of events to commemorate the victims of russian aggression.

The program of events includes:

– A requiem ceremony to honor the fallen heroes,

– The “Prayer for Peace” action, a memorial service for the civilian victims in Bucha, featuring a performance of the spiritual hymn “Prayer for Ukraine,”

– The presentation of the book Voices of Memory: Bucha – The City of Heroes.

Bucha, now a symbol of the unyielding spirit of the Ukrainian people and a stark reminder of the horrific war crimes committed by the russian army, will unite the families of the victims, local residents, government officials, and the international community. Together, they will pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for Ukraine’s freedom.

For reference: During the fighting and russian occupation of Bucha in February and March 2022, hundreds of people lost their lives. Since then, the name of this town near Kyiv has become forever associated with the war crimes perpetrated by the russian army in Ukraine.

• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On March 16, Ukraine will hold an annual event to honor the victims of the Mariupol Drama Theater tragedy. Mariupol residents and all those who remember are invited to light candles near theater buildings across the country in a tribute to those lost.

Commemorative gatherings will take place in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Zaporizhia (March 15), Ivano-Frankivsk, Kalush, Lviv, Kyiv, Kamianske, Kremenchuk, Rivne, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Kropyvnytskyi, Poltava, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa.

Background: On March 16, 2022, russian forces dropped bombs on the Mariupol Drama Theater, despite the russian word for “children,” “ДЕТИ”(DETY), written in large, clearly visible white letters on the pavement outside the building. At the time, hundreds of Mariupol families were sheltering there, seeking refuge from relentless russian shelling. The attack claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, including children.

The Mariupol Drama Theater has since become a harrowing symbol—of brutality and destruction, of Mariupol’s suffering, of Ukraine’s pain. It remains an enduring testament to a russian war crime the world must never forget.

• children
• dead
• russian crimes
• Dnipro
• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Odesa

Researchers from the Chernihiv historical museum named after V. Tarnovskyi travel to the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv oblast, to collect eyewitness testimony. (In the spring of 2022, russian occupiers detained over 300 local residents in inhumane conditions in the basement of the school for almost a month).

Since September 2023, historians have been documenting historical artifacts in Yahidne. They have examined and described over 1,000 objects, including clothing, shoes, personal items, backpacks, books, empty russian military ration boxes, antiseptic tubes, russian newspapers, wooden pallets used for sitting and sleeping, plastic water bottles used as makeshift toilets. Experts recorded descriptions of all basement rooms and photographed artifacts found throughout the village, including remnants of enemy equipment, uniforms and ammunition boxes.

At the request of the regional authorities, copies of occupation documents found in Yahidne have been turned over to the museum.

All documented artifacts will remain in place. There are plans to create a memorial complex in Yahidne, including the school basement where civilians were imprisoned.

Journalists can learn more, join researchers on the ground, and see the historical artifacts firsthand.

Background: Yahidne is a village near Chernihiv. At the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, the occupying forces set up their headquarters in the local school. In its basement they imprisoned 299 adults and 67 children – almost the entire population of the village. The basement was only 197 square meters, forcing people to sleep sitting up, with limited oxygen. Ten people died as a result of the horrific conditions.

In February 2023, a photograph of the Yahidne basement appeared on the cover of TIME magazine.

• casualties
• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Chernihiv

Oksana Starodub, a mother of two from Chernihiv, faced unthinkable challenges after deciding to stay in her hometown when the war began. Her husband, Mykola, joined the territorial defense forces on the second day of the all-out invasion, determined to protect his family and city. On March 6, 2022, russian mortars struck Oksana’s home, leaving her severely injured and unable to move. Her teenage son bandaged her wounds as they awaited help, but continued shelling prevented an ambulance from reaching them. Eventually, Mykola and his unit managed to return home, where a military medic applied a tactical tourniquet to Oksana’s leg before she was taken to a hospital. The hospital, overwhelmed with wounded, was operating under dire conditions. Power was down due to nearby shelling, staff was stretched thin, and resources were scarce. Drinking water arrived only once daily, and food for both patients and doctors was cooked outdoors over an open flame. Oksana later traveled to Vinnytsia for multiple surgeries and, by September 2022, was able to walk on her own again. 

Meanwhile, Mykola continued defending the Chernihiv region until his battalion was deployed to Donetsk. On June 17, 2024, during a combat mission, Mykola sustained fatal wounds, leaving Oksana a widow.

The Children of Heroes charity foundation is currently supporting the family. Dedicated to aiding children who have lost one or both parents due to russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the foundation offers financial assistance, psychological counseling, legal aid, and educational support to help these children grow and thrive until adulthood.

• casualties
• dead
• military
• russian crimes
• women
• Chernihiv

Serhii Pryschepa considers March 14, 2022, his second birthday. That day, he and his family attempted to escape from russian-occupied territory in Chernihiv Oblast but were caught in an attack. Their car was engulfed in flames, burning to the ground. Miraculously, he survived.

Serhii has been undergoing rehabilitation for over a year. The recovery process has been grueling and slow, yet he remains resolute. Not only has he regained his strength, but he has also grown even stronger—thanks to relentless training, he can now lift more weight than he could before his injury.

Background: Serhii Pryschepa is a participant in the Neopalymi (Unburnt) program, a national initiative providing free external rehabilitation and treatment for war-related injuries, burns, and scars. By April 6, 2022, Ukrainian defense forces had fully liberated Chernihiv Oblast from russian occupation.

• casualties
• dead
• doctors
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On March 1, the Stations of the Cross, a religious processional will take place in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, along Yablunska Street, to honor the memory of the victims tortured during the russian occupation. The procession will feature 14 stations, each marking a site where civilians were tragically killed. Among the stops, participants will pause to pray for and remember those who suffered at 144 Yablunska St., including the first boys to fall victim to the russians: Andrii Verbovyi, Andrii Matviichuk, Andrii Dvornikov, Vitalii Karpenko, Sviatoslav Turovskyi, Anatolii Prykhidko, Valerii Kotenko, and Denys Rudenko.

The procession will conclude at the chapel of St. Luke Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

For context: The Stations of the Cross is a prayer tradition centered on meditations about the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ for humanity’s salvation. Originating in Jerusalem, it is observed within the liturgical practices of both the Catholic and Greek Catholic Churches.

• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On February 24, the town of Bucha in Kyiv oblast will hold commemorative events to honor the memory of Ukraine’s fallen civilians and defenders.

Bucha, which has become a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and a witness to the horrific war crimes of the russian army, will bring together families of the fallen, local residents, government officials, and the international community to pay tribute to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine’s freedom.

Program of events:

• Memorial Rally, a requiem service and tribute to the fallen heroes
• Memorial Rally, a requiem service and tribute to the innocent victims of russian aggression at the Wall of Remembrance
• Unveiling of a Fallen Defender memorial plaque
• Memorial event “Bells of Remembrance”

• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Maidan Museum together with its partners has prepared a program dedicated to the Day of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.

On February 20, a commemoration ceremony will take place to honor the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and the participants of the Revolution of Dignity.

On the same day, the annual “Angels of Remembrance” event will take place. This global moment of silence is dedicated to those who died during the Revolution of Dignity. In Kyiv, it is traditionally held on the Alley of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, where dozens of paper angels are hung on the branches of trees that once witnessed the killings of unarmed protesters.

Additionally, Kyiv will host the exhibition “Heroes: Maidan, War, Memory…”. It is dedicated to the participants of the Revolution of Dignity who later died in the russian-Ukrainian war. The exhibition tells the stories of Maidan activists who changed Ukraine and the world and later became the first defenders of our country, sacrificing their lives for its freedom.

The program also includes a screening of the documentary-musical film “Ukraine. Maidan. Reloading”, dedicated to the memory of Ruslan Hanushchak. The film is based on the video archive of military reporter Ruslan Hanushchak, a Maidan participant who later became a military reporter and soldier with the call signs “Ostap” and “Photographer”. He was killed in action on January 11, 2025.

Journalists are invited to familiarize themselves with the full schedule of events dedicated to the Day of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.

Background: On February 20, 2014, the highest number of casualties occurred in the center of the Ukrainian capital, with 48 people killed. Along with 54 other protesters who were fatally wounded in the winter of 2013-2014 and five Maidan activists who died in the spring of 2014 defending Ukraine’s democratic values and territorial integrity, they are honored as Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.

• dead
• Kyiv

The Maidan Museum together with its partners has prepared a program for the Day of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.

On February 18, a memorial event in honor of those who died on February 18, 2014 will be held in Mariinsky Park. The event will include a memorial service for the Heavenly Hundred and a Memorial March to pay tribute to the fallen heroes.

On February 20, a ceremony will be held to honor the memory of the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and the participants of the Revolution of Dignity. The annual Angels of Memory event will also take place, a global moment of silence in memory of those who died during the Revolution of Dignity. In Kyiv, it takes place annually on the Alley of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes, where dozens of paper angels are placed on the branches of trees — silent witnesses to the shooting of unarmed protesters.

Opening of the exhibition “Heroes: Maidan, War, Memory…”. The exhibition is dedicated to the Maidan activists who later died in the russian-Ukrainian war. It tells the stories of those who changed Ukraine and the world and later became the first defenders of Ukraine’s freedom, sacrificing their lives.

Journalists can access the full program of events for the Day of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.

Background: On February 20, 2014, 48 people lost their lives in the center of Kyiv, the highest number of casualties in a single day during the Revolution of Dignity. Together with 54 other participants of peaceful protests who were killed or fatally wounded in the winter of 2013-2014, and five Maidan activists who died in the spring of 2014 while defending democratic values and territorial integrity of Ukraine, they are called the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.

• dead
• Kyiv

On February 6, Kyiv will host a training session on the use of the advanced ANDE rapid DNA technology mobile laboratory. These laboratories were first introduced in Ukraine following the de-occupation of the Kyiv oblast, when mass graves of civilians killed by russian occupiers were discovered. ANDE allowed authorities to quickly identify victims of war crimes and ensure justice and accountability.

The key advantage of the ANDE system is its exceptionally fast DNA profiling process. While traditional laboratory methods take several months, ANDE can provide results in as little as 90 minutes. This dramatically accelerates human identification, a critical factor in war crimes investigations. Originally developed for U.S. intelligence agencies, this mobile DNA laboratory was first used to identify the DNA of Osama bin Laden.

Media representatives are invited to attend the training, learn about the functionality of the ANDE rapid DNA technology mobile laboratory and speak with specialists who worked in the Kyiv oblast after its liberation.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• dead
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kyiv