At Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, a memorial tour entitled “From Hero to Hero” was held to mark the second anniversary of the murder of linguist and civic activist Iryna Farion. Around 70 people took part in the event, the Lviv City Council reported.
The tour began at the grave of Iryna Farion. Her daughter Sofiya Osoba opened with some introductory remarks, sharing personal memories of her mother and speaking about how important her grave has become for many Ukrainians.
“Here, everyone who comes to her grave becomes aware of her contribution to a Ukrainian Ukraine. There are always flowers here, there are always notes from hundreds and thousands of people, here are the patches of our soldiers. Sitting on this bench, everyone reflects on her worthy deed as a Ukrainian nationalist. And when I sit on this bench — I want silence,” said her daughter, Sofiya Osoba.
After the introduction, the guide Nataliya Zubyk led participants along a route of remembrance through Lychakiv Cemetery. They first visited the Memorial of the Ukrainian Galician Army, and then walked past the graves of people who made a significant contribution to the development of Lviv and Ukraine.
During the tour they commemorated the artist Bohdan Soroka, underground activist Kateryna Zarytska, human rights defender Mykhailo Horyn, political figure Yuriy Shukhevych, art historian Borys Voznytsky, artist Mykola Bidnyak, historian Yaroslav Dashkevych, the couple Lev and Dariya Rebet, Hero of the Heavenly Hundred Yuriy Verbytsky, Major General Serhiy Kulchytsky, composer Ihor Bilozir, awakener Markiyan Shashkevych, Adam Kotsko, Ivan Franko, composer Myroslav Skoryk, Volodymyr Ivasyuk, singer Solomiya Krushelnytska, journalist Oleksandr Kryvenko and writer Roman Fedoriv. Their life stories reminded participants of the people whose ideas, creativity, academic achievements and struggle helped shape modern Ukraine.
The final stop on the route was the grave of Andriy Parubiy. To conclude the gathering, Sofiya Osoba read out the messages that participants had left in the memorial album in honour of Iryna Farion, and also recited a poem about summer written by her mother.
During the event, 15,000 hryvnias were collected to support the 4th Battalion “Syla Svobody” of the NGU “Rubizh” brigade — for the comrades-in-arms of Vasyl Osoba, Hero of Ukraine and husband of Sofiya Osoba. The fundraising continues.
It was also recalled that on 19 August, on the second anniversary of the murder of Professor and linguist Iryna Farion, a memorial space with a commemorative stele is planned to be opened on Masaryk Street in Lviv.