The Tale of Indomitability of Border Guard Pavlo Pikovets, Who Survived Captivity Thanks to a Wedding Ring and a Cross
Hidden among bandages of his crushed arm during battle, the wedding ring and cross held the most valuable things to him. Injured yet unbroken, 48-year-old border guard from the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment, Pavlo Pikovets, carried these through all the horrors of Russian captivity. These items, chosen by the couple 16 years ago for their most important life event, are now all that remains after their home in Mariupol was bombed by the occupiers.
48-year-old Pavlo Pikovets was only able to wear the wedding ring on his injured hand a few months ago. He shares, “It was the ring and the cross, a gift from my wife, that saved me in Russian captivity.” He was severely wounded during the months-long defense of Mariupol before ending up in captivity.
“Since my entire hand was wrapped in bandages, I cut it open, placed the cross and the ring inside, and then wrapped it up again. This ring is very dear to me and I knew it was there with me. It’s a connection between me and my wife,” the border guard recounts.
Pavlo met his beloved Inna in their native Luhansk. They were both into sports, which led to affection, marriage, and the birth of their daughter. Forced to relocate when the Russians occupied their town, both joined the border guards in 2020. When the full-scale invasion started, they didn’t even have time to say goodbye. Inna and their daughter caught the last evacuation train from Mariupol.
“We didn’t think we would see each other so late, I hoped I could take the child and return to the city. From Olenivka, he let me know. He sent me a SMS saying that the doctors had examined him, stating urgent surgery was needed to save his arm, I panicked, called the Red Cross, anyone I could…” Inna explains.
Due to his crushed hand, Pavlo was included in the first prisoners exchange in June ’22. “They took us for exchange three times and always ended up driving us in the opposite direction. They told us that Ukraine had abandoned us. Our bus was filled with people all missing hands, legs, or eyes,” Pavlo recalls.
Following several tough surgeries in Ukraine and abroad, rehabilitation, and his return to duty, Pavlo returned to sports to restore his mental health. “I began running gradually, plus physically working my hand and legs, and so forth, continually up to now,” says Pavlo.
“It’s uncertain if we can improve his hand further, but it’s just incredible luck that he is here with me now,” Inna confesses.
Today, on Valentine’s Day, the couple celebrates their 16th wedding anniversary. On their phone, they look over pre-war happy family photos and the single wedding one. They laugh and momentarily drift back to those carefree times. They confess – their relationship has only strengthened after all they’ve endured. And they share their secret to marital happiness❤️: “Value each other, respect each other, and do everything together, never missing a moment.”