In the small town of Semibratovo, Russia, a solemn monument stands tall, etched with the names of 11 young men who bravely fought and lost their lives in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Carved meticulously on slabs of black marble, these names serve as a poignant reminder of a war that has been raging for three long years, a war that, despite its physical distance, has deeply impacted this quiet town.
These young men, once carefree children playing in the schoolyard with their classmates, now find their names immortalized in stone. The memorial, set next to a life-sized soldier figure intricately sculpted into the marble, bears an inscription honoring “our fellow countrymen who left their families after February 24, 2022, to defend the honor and sovereignty of our Motherland.” A bouquet of flowers, adorned in the colors of the Russian flag, lays solemnly at the feet of the soldier’s statue.
In a town of merely 6,000 residents, over 100 brave souls have ventured to serve in the conflict in Ukraine. The locals, deeply affected by the loss of their loved ones, decided to erect the monument near the school, with the hope that passing children would be reminded of the harsh realities of war. Viktor Sidorov, the chairman of the Semibratovo veterans’ council, expresses the importance of the monument, emphasizing that it serves as a stark symbol of the harsh truth that “people are dying there.”
Alexei Gavrilov, one of the organizers behind the monument, highlights how this tribute has made the reality of the war more tangible to the townspeople, regardless of whether they have a family member on the front lines. Angelina, a local resident, praises the monument for displaying the “patriotism of our fellow villagers,” while Daria, a young woman pushing a pram, feels a sense of pride for the fallen soldiers.
As the conflict persists, more names of Semibratovo’s sons are added to the marble slab, a stark reminder of the ongoing sacrifice. Despite President Vladimir Putin’s labeling of the incursion into Ukraine as a “special military operation,” rather than a war, the impact of the conflict is palpable in countless Russian villages. Photographs of fallen soldiers adorn the gates of Orthodox churches, and at the local cemetery, flags of mercenary groups and convict units flutter above fresh graves, each headstone a testament to the enduring spirit of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
In the midst of this turmoil, the monument in Semibratovo stands as a silent sentinel, bearing witness to the harsh realities of war and honoring the memory of those who courageously gave their lives for their country.
