We’re excited to share a short clip with our followers about a memorable encounter our team had during their trip to Ukraine this spring. They met with Sergey and Olesya Tovstyk, the heroes of our film “Everyone Has Their Own War” (watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/279780710).

On September 13, 2014, during battles near the settlement of Krasnyi Partizan in the Donetsk region, Sergey Tovstyk lost his left arm in a mortar shelling. His right arm was later amputated in the hospital due to injuries. Watch our four-minute short clip to see how the Tovstyk family is living now, ten years after this life-changing event.

In recent days, our team in Ukraine witnessed and became part of a deeply tragic event – the burial procession of a fallen Ukrainian hero. We would like to share the poignant testimony of this event, narrated by our colleague Olga Antimony:

“That morning, the entire district and community were waiting. A Viber chat was created, with people passing on updates about the convoy’s location and when it would cross the regional border. As evening approached, a sudden wind picked up and it began to rain. I was wearing a light dress, and someone quietly draped a sweater over me, while another person handed me an umbrella. The sense of empathy and unity in that moment was incredible. People dressed in black stood together, offering each other support.

The daughter of Mykola Molofii, who had fallen in Donbas, stood in the middle of the street by the yard, which was lined with rose petals. The sturdy house, the yard, and the summer kitchen were likely built by her father. She was lightly dressed, with bare arms drenched by the rain, yet she seemed oblivious to the cold. She stood with her hands behind her back, legs wide apart, firmly grounded like a man. They say she provided DNA samples to identify her father’s remains.

Mykola had perished on May 5th – the team was transporting ammunition to the front line. A mine, drone, or direct hit detonated the vehicle. All seven men inside were killed. ‘Plyve Kacha,’ the song that has been used since Maidan to honor each fallen hero in Ukraine, began to play. Across the road stood a car with a portrait in the driver’s seat – presumably Mykola’s car.

I can’t stop thinking that these people are unconquerable. To take away their language, history, or Ukraine would be like stripping away their skin. It’s impossible.

In 2002, Mykola Molofii left for Spain. When the ATO began in 2014, he became a volunteer. He formed a group called ‘Koloss,’ consisting of 17 people, who helped Ukrainian soldiers by providing vehicles, medicines, and food. At the onset of the full-scale invasion, he returned to Ukraine and volunteered to fight. On March 13, 2022, he took the oath in Kryvyi Rih and was assigned to the 40th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion of Territorial Defense ‘Kryvbas.’ He initially fought in the Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia directions, and in April 2023, he and his comrades were redeployed to Avdiivka. Mykola died on May 5, 2024, in Donetsk Oblast. He left behind two sisters, a wife, three daughters, and four grandchildren. He never learned of his granddaughter’s birth.”

The journey of our team in Ukraine continues, and today we had the honor of meeting with the esteemed artist and restorer Mikhail Bendyuk at the historic Ostrog Academy in Volyn. Located in the ancient European city of Ostroh, the Ostrog Academy is one of Europe’s oldest educational institutions, famed for printing the first books with the pioneer printer Fedorov.

Mikhail Bendyuk shared with us numerous unique artifacts, including:
– A rare icon of the Virgin Mary in an embroidered shirt, was discovered in the attic of an abandoned house.
– Works by Nil Khasevich, found in 2022 in the attic of a house that belonged to a UPA fighter exiled to Kolyma in 1948. These works date back to 1949, hidden to avoid searches.
– An icon from Volchansk, Kharkov region, now nearly destroyed by the ongoing conflict. The dust on this icon is the dust of Volchansk, bearing witness to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

We also saw the well into which a UPA liaison officer threw herself to avoid torture during interrogation. Realizing she wouldn’t withstand the torture, she asked to stop for water and was found dead in the well.

These incredible pieces of history and resilience serve as a poignant reminder of Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage and the enduring spirit of its people.