From Euromaiden Press: Good morning World! Good morning Ukraine!
This is one of the most difficult texts I’ve ever written. It relates the irreparable consequences of war, the pain that lives within us forever.
On December 2, my son Bohdan was killed by a mine. He was only 24 old, a good-looking and funny guy who was a member of the KVN club (Club of Funny and Inventive People). After graduating from the National Academy of Sciences, he worked as a flight attendant for Windrose Airlines and traveled to many places, but never had much time to explore. He spoke fluent English and dreamed of visiting Ireland to observe whales, but that dream was cut short.
We wanted to honor and remember our son in a special way. Before he passed away, Bohdan asked us to make his funeral look like a birthday celebration he never got to attend. We decided to fulfill his wish and organized a dinner at a nice restaurant with his favorite dishes, chrysanthemums on the tables, and Martini served in special triangular glasses. Instead of black scarves or dresses, we asked everyone to wear elegant and colorful clothes. The legendary song ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles played in the hall.
We also displayed a photo of Bohdan on a wide screen, showing him as a cheerful, joyful, and carefree person, standing in front of a blue sea and yellow sand. I kept looking at the door all evening, as if expecting him to walk in and smile at us. Even though his life was cut short, we wanted to celebrate his memory in a way that would bring us closer to his spirit and remind us of the joy he brought into our lives.
Text: Iryna Hovorukha, from her book Plakhta
Illustrative photo: Lviv Military Cemetary, Dmytro Lykhoviy/Novynarnia
Voice of Ukraine 