“I Tend to the Graves of My Husband, Brother, and an Unknown Soldier”

Thirty-two-year-old Natalia Mykhailyshyn-Kyrych lost two of her dearest people - the brother and husband - to the war. Almost every day, she visits their graves to talk with them and also tends to another grave without a photo, name, or date—the resting place of an unknown defender.

“Thank you, guys, for the good weather today. I know it’s your job,” says Natalia as she walks into the Field of Honor in Lviv. She visits the graves almost daily, lighting candles, sharing coffee, and recounting her day to them.

“I carry a constant fear inside me. Why did this happen? They’ve already been through hell; they deserve heaven now. I’m even a little proud of myself for enduring all of this. Thanks to my boys, I’ll keep fighting.”

Natalia shared her thoughts on what a just peace for Ukraine means to her:

“For each of us, peace has a different meaning. To me, a just peace for Ukraine is, first and foremost, no compromises on our land or territorial integrity. We must regain all occupied territories. A just peace means reparations for all the damages caused by Russian aggression, a fair trial in The Hague for Putin, his cronies, and collaborators, Ukraine’s accession to NATO, and the mandatory prohibition of Russian business and anything connected to it under any guise.”