Like a rose growing through a crack in the concrete, hope continues to well up out of the rubble and ash in Ukraine as they continue to weather attacks from their neighbors in Russia. And some of that hope was on display over the weekend when a pair of Ukrainian civilian soldiers got married at a checkpoint in the nation’s capital city of Kyiv.
Video of the unconventional nuptials between Valeriy Filimonov and Lesya Filimonova was posted to social media as the couple was reunited for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“I’m happy that we are alive, that this day started, that my husband is alive, and he is with me,” Filimonova told ABC. “We decided who knows what will happen tomorrow. We should get married in front of the state, in front of God.”
The couple have an 18-year-old daughter who watched thanks to a livestreamed video.
“We decided to get married because we live in challenging times, and you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. That’s why it’s better to do it sooner than later,” Filimonov said (translated from Ukrainian) in video posted to social media by Reuters.
“We must live in a moment. Many people talk about it, but just a few live according to this rule. To remain sane, we must live in a moment keeping a hope for better. Still, we must take as much as we can from life,” his bride Filimonova added (also translated from Ukrainian).
Held outside with the bride, groom and attendees all wearing camouflage fatigues, the ceremony nonetheless featured some of the usual trappings with cake, music and champagne for the guests to enjoy.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko was even on-hand to wish all the best to the newlyweds, and he also offered a message to the couple and the world.
“You know what? I want to give a present for everyone, a present for every Ukrainian: To ease the war,” Klitschko said. “Every Ukrainian has just one goal: To stop the war, to stop the killing [of] civilian people, women. It’s a huge hope for everyone, not just Ukrainians.”
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