Public resources and initiatives
20/32 Heroiv Kruty Boulevard
м. Chernivtsi, Ukraine, 58000
Tel.: +380930176854,
e-mail: fsri.office@gmail.com
Living for Two: Stories of Our Heroes
Sometimes war turns our lives into strange scripts no masterful director could invent. This story could only happen during war, and though its continuation is still ahead, we will share the most compelling parts so someone may see themselves, find their path, or be motivated to change.
Misha was 28 years old—young, full of dreams and strength. With the start of the full-scale war, Mykhailo left his job, wife, and home abroad and returned to Ukraine on foot across the border, contrary to—or perhaps in defiance of—those fleeing the country to avoid defending it.
Next came training, the Territorial Defense, the front line. Mykhailo tore to the “zero” line and begged to go every day. His commander and comrades, who had seen the war’s early years in 2014–2017, held him back. Yet the combat mission came. Together with Vitalii, Mykhailo was at the fighting positions:
“We were about to rotate out when the mortar barrage began. Then came the tanks. The fire on our positions was so intense that it was clear—this would not end well,” Vitalii, a participant in the veterans’ business school, recounts.
At first, Misha was wounded. Then Vitalii in the arm. Mykhailo decided to cover his comrade with himself, saying, “You have children; you need to raise them. I never got the chance to become a father. It could be me.”
Today, Vitalii raises his children, goes mushroom foraging in the woods, and supports Mykhailo’s parents and fellow veterans who have returned from the war. And most importantly—he carries Mykhailo’s memory.
“He gave me a chance to live on. So I do what I can. Misha always wanted to open an auto repair shop. I’m studying now to win a grant and start my own business. I’ll fix cars. Let it be the fulfillment not only of my dream but Misha’s too,” Vitalii says.
Ukrainians are strong people. We are grateful, hardworking. We know how to love, enjoy life, work, and defend our country from the enemy. And while part of our state remains occupied, while men and women fight for our freedom, veterans are mastering new professions, learning to start businesses, learning to live anew. Because they say, “If not us, then who?” Because Ukraine must be free, and Ukrainians must live with dignity.
We thank Vitalii Demchuk for this story and for his defense! We wish him success and victory! We believe his new business project will soon open in Bukovyna and stand as a symbol of “living for two.”
Eternal memory to Mykhailo and all fallen Heroes!
The project "Reintegration of War Veterans through Educational Opportunities: Ours for Ours" is implemented by the “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation in partnership with DVV International in Ukraine and supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.