A makeshift memorial grows in Ukraine’s capital after 1,000 days of war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Before Russia’s invasion, this was an ordinary green lawn in the heart of Ukraine’s capital. Tourists would visit to take photos, and locals would stroll there on weekends.

But 1,000 days of war have transformed it into a makeshift memorial, dotted with blue-and-yellow flags — each honoring a soldier who died fighting Russia. Many were volunteers who left their civilian lives behind to answer to defend their country.

Their loved ones, left alone with grief, hope their sacrifices won’t be forgotten. They plant small, simple flags, hand-marked with the names and dates they died. Over time, the flags have multiplied, fluttering in the wind as the seasons change and the war drags on.

“I put it so that someone might pass by and see that this person once lived and gave their life for us,” said Svitlana Kirichenko, who traveled from Cherkasy to replace the weathered flag she had planted over a year ago in honor of her son, who died fighting. She carefully placed a new one in its place.

“So we can live peacefully among our own people, and not have Russians dictate how we should live and what to do.”

Associated Press archives show that the first flags appeared on the lawn in May of the war’s first year, shortly after Russian forces withdrew from the Kyiv region and the capital was no longer under the threat of occupation. Photos from that time show dozens of flags neatly arranged in rows across the grassy field.

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As the war continued, the place has transformed. The grass has faded away, replaced by well-worn paths resembling those in a cemetery, winding through thousands of flags. Among them, many portraits have appeared — brought by relative — showing confident, smiling faces in military uniforms.

Svitlana Kanevska, cloaked in a black hood against the drizzly autumn rain, bent over a portrait of her boyfriend, Serhii Ivanytskyi, who had died months earlier in eastern Ukraine. The photo — a selfie he had sent her during one of their chats — showed him standing in a sunlit Ukrainian field. Kanevska carefully wiped droplets from the image.

Since Serhii joined the army early in the war, their time together had been scarce, mostly confined to messages. He kept his location and activities hidden, and their conversations centered largely on love.

Last December, during a brief leave in Kyiv, they passed by this very memorial. “He said he felt so sorry for the guys,” Kanevska recalled. He was killed in the summer of 2024.

“You feel so much pain that you don’t know where to go or what to do,” she said. That’s what brought her here months ago, to place his flag and photo among the countless others. Kanevska, who works nearby, often visits to mourn.

She’s not alone. The place is strewn with fresh and dried flowers, a concentration of grief and an epicenter of Ukrainian history. Independence Square, after all, has long been the heart of Ukraine’s revolutions. For many, it is the only fitting place for their loved ones to be remembered.

City authorities have no control over this memorial. It was created by people themselves, driven by a deep need to honor their fallen in the absence of an official government memorial.

Soldiers and families come here to sit for long stretches, gazing quietly into the distance. New flags are added almost daily.

Nearby, funeral ceremonies take place almost every day, followed by moments of silence. Passersby stop, kneel and observe in quiet reverence. But soon, life in the capital moves on, returning to its usual pace.

The memorial keeps growing with each passing day, a reminder of the price Ukraine pays for its freedom.

“If someone thinks of him, it brings him light where he is. He knows he hasn’t been forgotten,” said Andrii Pedychenko, who came to the memorial to put a new flag for his friend who was killed in action about one year ago. “Each flag is a tragedy. And it reminds us that this is just a small piece because there wouldn’t be enough space here for everyone.”

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine