On the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the defenders of Ukraine who fell in battle were honored in Lviv.
At the Lychakiv Cemetery, we prayed together and symbolically lit the beams of remembrance over the graves of our Heroes.
The beams of remembrance were lit at three locations of the Lychakiv Cemetery where soldiers of the Russian-Ukrainian war are buried: at the field of honorary burials No. 76, the field of honorary burials No. 67 and the field of honorary burials No. 86A (formerly Mars Field). Families of fallen defenders, military personnel, clergy, government officials, and the public were invited to the event.
“The war has been going on for ten years. And for ten years we have been coming here to pay tribute to our loved ones. Someone lost a son, someone a brother, someone a husband. Some have lost hope. But when you come here, you feel a special peace and realize that today this place is a place of great power.
There are moments in life when you give up and don’t know what to do. And then this Heavenly Knighthood comes to our aid. Our Heroes, who are now in heaven, are watching us very closely, because they gave the most valuable thing they had – their lives. And each of them had a dream. And we probably have a vocation to realize their dreams. It is not easy, but it is necessary.
Today I want to express my condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. We will always be together and we must believe that their deaths were not in vain. And faith is the only thing that is always with us and will be,” said Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.
At each field of honorary burials, the participants sang the National Anthem of Ukraine, lit lamps to the sound of insurgent songs and prayed a memorial prayer together. The choir “Gomin” also performed the song “Oh, in the meadow there is a red viburnum…”.
“Memory, respect, and all the bright things that continue to live in our hearts are the feelings that motivate us to come here. As well as love and the desire to imitate the life and deeds of our Heroes who are buried here and everywhere in Ukraine. We love them all. And even if years and generations pass, this feeling of love will never be erased from our hearts and our memory.
We have gathered today at a place of memory and hope. We meet here to be strong. We pray and believe that not only we pray, but heaven and our Heroes pray with us. They pray for us to be strong and believe in our common victory,” said Bishop Stepan Sus (UGCC).
Among those who came to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers was Natalia Mykhailyshyn, wife of paratrooper Andriy Kyrych, who died in combat, and sister of Azov fighter Ihor Mykhailyshyn. Last November, she volunteered to take care of the grave of an unknown soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who was buried next to her husband.
“It’s really hard to say anything. The pain still tears my soul apart. But I know for sure that it was not in vain. Our Heroes wanted us to live in a free, independent, fair and Ukrainian Ukraine. Our strength is only in unity, indifference, and mutual respect. We must stand strong. For their sake. We will win if we do not betray ourselves. Glory to Ukraine,” Natalia Mykhailyshyn said.
By the way, tomorrow, February 24, a memorial prayer for the fallen defenders of Ukraine will be held on the fields of honorary burials at Lychakiv Cemetery. The prayer will be led by chaplains of the Center for Military Chaplaincy of the Lviv Archeparchy of the UGCC.
Last year, “rays of memory” were symbolically lit over the graves of the newest Heroes at Lychakiv Cemetery.