The Russian-Ukrainian war has been going on for over 12 years, and the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine has lasted over 4 years. How do Ukrainians preserve and honour the memory of the fallen Defenders and civilians whose lives were cut short by enemy missile strikes? In this article, there is a brief overview of commemorative practices in Ukraine.
Every morning at 9:00, Ukraine observes a nationwide minute of silence for the fallen. In cities and towns across the country, people stop their activities to bow their heads and pay their respects. Public urban transport also comes to a halt, announcing to passengers that the minute of silence has begun, and they, in turn, rise from their seats. Drivers pull over, step out of their vehicles, and stand beside them to pay tribute. In the Lviv Region, many drivers were given special waterproof stickers with the inscription “9:00 – зупинись (stop)”, which became part of a broad advocacy campaign to improve memory policy measures. In addition, to draw the attention of more people to the importance of observing the minute of silence, the organisation Moment of Honour holds a silent peaceful action with posters 15–20 minutes before 9:00, reminding people how many lives were lost so that the civilian population could live another day, going to their favourite work or study.
Communities in general also do not stand aside from honouring the memory of the Fallen Heroes. For example, in Lviv (Western Ukraine), almost daily, the solemn procession "Na Shchyti" ("On the Shield") accompanies soldiers on their final journey. The body of the Defender is accompanied by hundreds of residents, making several stops on the way to the cemetery. The first is in front of the Ratusha (City Hall) - the building of the Lviv City Council. All Council employees, including the Mayor - Andrii Sadovyi - gather at its entrance. Traditionally, a trumpeter plays the melody “Silencia”, which symbolises silence. Flags are lowered at this moment, transport stops (tram tracks run opposite the Council on Rynok Square - the most famous place for tourists), so as not to obstruct the movement of the funeral procession.
In order to learn about the Defender's biography, information boards are also displayed in front of the Council, indicating the soldier's name and age, profession, areas of service, and place of death. The second stop is the Garrison Church of Saints Peter and Paul, where a special service for the repose of the souls of the departed, a panakhyda (memorial service), is usually held.
It is important that as the procession moves, most passersby kneel on one knee and bow their heads as a sign of respect and gratitude to the Ukrainian soldiers. The approach of the funeral procession is announced via a loudspeaker, and the song “Plyve Kacha” is played, which, unfortunately, has symbolised the unjust death of Ukraine's best sons and daughters since the times of the Dignity Revolution in 2014. The final point of any procession is one of the city's cemeteries. The most famous and customary place for the burial of Ukrainian Heroes in Lviv is the Marsove Pole (Mars Field).
The history of the song “Plyve Kacha” . English subtitles are available.
Marsove Pole is a memorial complex and military cemetery where the majority of defenders who died protecting Ukraine since February 2022 are buried. It is a place of memory, sorrow, and honouring the sacrifice of Ukraine's defenders. Located next to the Lychakiv Cemetery, it has become a symbol of national memory and courage. This name was established among residents and guests of the city due to its historical use, as previously, only Soviet soldiers were buried in this area. Now the meaning has transformed, and the new history has turned the place into the Memorial to the Heroes of Ukraine - a field of honour for the burial of male and female Defenders of Ukraine. However, the short “Marsove” (Mars Field) has remained common.
In less than two years, the number of new burials has reached several hundred.
Comparison of the field's occupancy in spring 2022 and in November 2024 is in the photo below.
At the Memorial to the Heroes of Ukraine, funeral ceremonies and various events are conducted on commemorative days. For example, in the photo of Marsove Pole (Mars Field) from 2024, you can see thousands of votive lights - this was done on the eve of All Saints' Day to remember relatives and friends who are no longer nearby. Yet, such memorial events are not confined only to more traditional examples.
The current reality for Ukrainians is learning to live a full life alongside the pain of loss, which will never pass. Because of this, citizens try to transform all their experiences and despair into something beautiful—painting, sculpture, dance, or song.
Singing Ukrainian songs loudly so that their sound would unite and warm those who had suffered loss and preserve the memory of the fallen was the wish of Iryna Tsybukh, call sign “Cheka” - a Ukrainian journalist, paramedic of the “Hospitallers” medical battalion, a Hero of Ukraine. She wrote: “I want everyone to sing at the farewell, learn at least ten meaningful songs and sing them in unison to soothe the sorrow with native song”. That is why the 10 songs she mentioned in her will were played on Maidan in Kyiv when Ukrainians bid farewell to Iryna. Her last wish is preserved through time, and so, on the anniversary of her death on May 29th, all those who cared came to honour Iryna at the Field of Mars, where she is buried.
Iryna is the author of the documentary film “Distance”, which tells about the daily life of teenagers in the frontline Donetsk and Luhansk regions, who achieved their first successes in settlements far from large cities. In November 2023, Iryna received an award from the President of Ukraine - the Order “For Merit” III degree, and in March 2024, she became a laureate of the “UP 100. Power of Women” award. She died on May 29, 2024. She was only 25 years old.
The 10 songs from Cheka are available for listening in the playlist at the following link
Another practice of honouring the memory of the Heroes is the arranged Memory Alleys with small flags on which the names of the fallen heroes are written. A similar place exists in many cities, the largest being in Kyiv on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square).
August 29th in Ukraine is dedicated to the memory of its fallen Defenders.
On this day in 2014, Russia's military command betrayed an agreement, attacking Ukrainian soldiers as they withdrew from the Ilovaisk encirclement. They cynically shot the troops who were exiting through the “green corridor,” which ran through the sunflower fields; 366 defenders died. The symbol of Memorial Day on August 29 is the sunflower.
In 2023, the wife of the fallen defender, Illia Hrabar - Mariia Hrabar, initiated the Table of Memory campaign, which, due to its meaningfulness, was supported by millions of citizens and thus became nationwide. The core idea of this initiative is that public venues—restaurants, entertainment centres, cinemas, bookstores, city government offices, and more, set a table "in reserve" to honour fallen soldiers. This table is either formally set for a meal or is arranged with symbolic items representing a life interrupted, such as books waiting to be read or empty notebooks for thoughts yet to be written. This allows us to remember the Heroes as they were in life: what they loved to eat, what they read, what they watched, and what hobbies they had and, of course, to preserve the memory of it. The co-organiser of the campaign is the platform of memory “Memorial”. In support of the campaign, an interactive map was created, marking all establishments and institutions that joined the activity in 2025 and showed respect for the tradition. It can be viewed at the link .
Slightly modified initiatives related to the main symbol of this day - the sunflower, are carried out by cultural institutions or public organisations. This year, the Memorial Museum of Dignity in Lviv held the Sunflower of Memory campaign. The organisers called on Ukrainians on August 29 to purchase sunflowers with a charitable donation at flower shops in Lviv and other cities, to honour the memory of the defenders who died, particularly during the Ilovaisk tragedy, and also to raise funds to support and treat those who continue the fight. According to the results of the Campaign, 132,000 UAH were collected.
Details on the successful execution of the Initiative were provided by its conceptual author and organiser, Anastasiia Sobko, who serves as the communications manager for the Museum of Dignity in Lviv.
“The idea for the Sunflower of Memory campaign arose suddenly and was initially conceived as a useful initiative only on a local level. I didn't even expect it to reach the scale of the whole of Lviv and other cities. When I communicated with the campaign partners, I felt incredible support at all stages of planning and implementation, and sunflowers were everywhere that day. This campaign is about the unity of people in such a delicate aspect as the culture of memory. Everyone can have different attitudes toward the manifestations of remembrance, but such simple steps bring us closer to a specific system that can become permanent. After all, in the case of the Sunflower of Memory campaign, flowers familiar to everyone can become a metaphorical and effective symbol of remembering the fallen Heroes”.
The struggle against the enemy extends far beyond the battlefield. Ukrainian cities and towns, located at various distances from the territories of hostilities, also suffer daily and nightly from the strikes of Russian missiles and Shahed drones. And unfortunately, numerous direct hits on the homes of civilian residents or on places of public gathering (markets, train stations, etc.) are already becoming history. In Lviv, among such cases that caused a greater number of deaths, there are two dates: July 6, 2022, and September 4, 2024, the number of people who died as a result of which was 10 and 8, respectively.
The city preserves their memory through various methods: memorial plaques are installed, evenings of remembrance are held, and named scholarships are introduced for students in honour of the deceased. One example of commemorative events that united the majority of the young population of Ukraine is the MoloDvizh forum - an educational event featuring lectures, workshops, discussions, and training courses relevant to the current issues. It contributes to the creation of new social connections among young change-makers. As of 2025, 8 such nationwide events have already been held, making it a permanent practice. However, in 2024, the concept of the forum was changed.
While the initial theme of MoloDvizh 2014 was 'Challenge', reflecting the difficulties of youth during wartime, it was changed to 'MoloDvizh of Remembrance' after the September 4 attack that claimed the lives of event program manager Yaryna Bazylevych, her mother, and her two younger sisters. All loud events of the program, such as concerts and stand-ups within the forum, were cancelled. Instead, an evening of remembrance for Yaryna and her family was held. Additionally, instead of a typical photo zone, the event featured an exhibition with memories of the fallen and a designated memorial space where visitors could lay flowers.
Finally, I want to add that the following practice is also interesting: Ukrainians work not only with the phenomenon of remembering the fallen but also take various measures to support the memory of every settlement occupied by Russia and the people there who are waiting for the return of Ukrainian government control. With the support of the “Yellow Ribbon Ua” initiative, a flash mob Yellow Ribbon of Resistance was held on November 21, 2023, in commemoration of the Day of Dignity and Freedom. As a sign of support for the people in occupation who are resisting the Russian government, residents of cities controlled by Ukraine wore yellow ribbons on their hands or attached them to their clothing.
A very touching flash mob took place on the eve of the New Year in the winter of 2024 at the initiative of the Ukrainian music band MUR Ukraine, in partnership with “Yellow Ribbon Ua”.
The initiative aimed to greet residents of occupied territories for the upcoming New Year and to encourage them to celebrate according to Ukrainian time. This was a symbolic act of defiance against the aggressor country, whose time zone is one hour ahead. I also joined this initiative. I greeted the city of Chystiakove, the city of my childhood, where I lived for 11 years until Russia illegally occupied it.
Other examples of greetings:
This is how Ukrainians work with the culture of memory, with their own and collective pain.
We have already gone through countless trials, and what comes next is difficult to describe without any doubt. One thing I can say for sure: our citizens will never forget the actions of those who defend our territorial integrity and sovereignty, who give their lives for our better future. My generation is witnessing the creation of a new history of Ukraine, in which there will never be a place for anything Russian again. Consequently, the methods of commemorating the Defenders of Ukraine will acquire new forms and symbolic representations, and the nation's youth is prepared to contribute significantly to this endeavour. We will not forget their names and their legacy, and to every “Glory to Ukraine”, we will answer “Glory to the Heroes”. And, of course, we will share these stories and experiences with the international community as well.
Thank you for reading this article. Please share your thoughts and your stories about commemoration.
