Photographer: Mikhail Palinchak
‘The day Russia invaded my country, I married my boyfriend Sviatoslav Fursin, 24, as the sound of air raid sirens rang in our ears. After three years together, we had planned to marry on 6 May and celebrate on the terrace of my favourite restaurant in Kyiv, which overlooks Dnieper River. But when the war came, priorities changed.
Sviatoslav is in the Territorial Defence Force – a military reserve unit for the Ukrainian Armed Forces – and we knew what was coming. He would have to fight, and so I would, too. It wasn’t a difficult decision; Kyiv is our home. This is our city and we have to fight for it.
I’m living at a base for the defence force. I don’t have military training, but I am armed. While Sviatoslav goes on combat missions, I make his life easier here.
Before the invasion, I worked in local politics after being elected as a deputy to the Kyiv City Council in 2020. Now, I do what I can here to help as we all prepare to defend our city at all costs. I spend much of my time waiting and praying for Sviatoslav to come back safely – he is often gone for days – so all I can do is work… and smoke.
Psychologically, it’s hard. I couldn’t leave this place for a week after we got here. All I can hear outside is shooting and sirens. Of course, this is not how we planned to begin our marriage, but my relationship with Sviatoslav is stronger than ever. Everything we used to argue about seems irrelevant.
My family help too – they moved closer to the border of Kyiv when the threat escalated, but when it’s safe to they bring me supplies. I hope they are proud.
After this ends, Sviatoslav and I will restart out lives. We want to have children one day. I was born in Kyiv and I plan to die here very, very old – hopefully, peacefully in my sleep.
While this war continues, we will never surrender. Everyone in Kyiv believes we will win, very soon. Morale is so high, no one is panicking. We know we will fight as much as we have to, because if we lose, the world will lose too… Russia will not stop here.
To anyone reading this outside of Ukraine, I urge you to show your support for us. Go to the Russian embassy in your country or your Government and tell them you care. We need medicine, food, armour – and we need stronger sanctions against Russia. So whatever you can give, give and we will fight for the whole civilised world.