We got married at Azovstal. Instead of a wedding ring, we used the ring from a grenade that had destroyed a Russian tank.
Source: Svoi.City
Author: Hanna KURTSANOVSKA
On May 17, 2022, “Zyat” and “Yula,” along with other defenders of Mariupol, surrendered from Azovstal on orders. At first, both were held at the Olenivka penal colony. “Zyat” returned from captivity on September 21, 2022—during a large-scale prisoner-of-war exchange. That same month, Yulia was transferred from Olenivka to Taganrog. She remained in a Russian prison until December 31, 2022.
She was studying to become a teacher but dreamed of serving in “Azov”
Yulia and Oleksandr met on a social media platform in late 2015. Oleksandr visited Yulia several times in Uman, where she was studying, and she visited him just as many times in Mariupol. The couple then began a relationship.
“I was studying at a teachers’ university in his hometown, and Oleksandr would come to visit me during his leave; he had been serving in Azov since 2015.”
In 2017, Yulia graduated from university with a degree in elementary education and immediately moved to Mariupol to be closer to her boyfriend. She got a job at School No. 55, where she worked until 2020.
“I’d wanted to join the regiment since 2015, when I started visiting Sasha, but I had to finish my studies and work for three years. So, after I finished teaching at the school and saw my fourth-grade class through to graduation, I immediately resigned and joined the ranks of ‘Azov.’ In August 2020, I signed a three-year contract and served as a personnel officer in the regiment’s medical unit.”
A year later, Oleksandr and Yulia’s dream came true—they bought a house in Mangush, less than 20 kilometers from the center of Mariupol, and a car. They also got a sheepdog named Ukr.
“That’s when all our shared plans and dreams began to come true.”
A Trayserver for a Birthday
When the full-scale invasion began, Yulia and Oleksandr were in Urzuf. In the morning, all the soldiers left the base: “Zyat” with his men—he was then the commander of the 3rd Company of the 2nd Battalion—and “Yula” with the medics.
“We were apart at first—Sashko was with his company on the Right Bank, and I was with some medics from the 2nd Battalion headquarters, also in the Primorsky District, but in a different location.”
Always by “Yula’s” side was medic Yulia Zubchenko, codenamed “Siren.” The girls joined the regiment together, lived in the same room, and spent their free time together. And they became close friends.
“This person helped and supported me in everything. And not just me. From the very first days of the fighting in Mariupol, ‘Siren’ constantly tried to join the guys on evacuation missions, but she was left behind—just like me—at headquarters as a medic. They kept telling her that she had a young son, so she should stay where it was safe.”
On her birthday, “Yula” received a gift from her friend. When “Siren” was leaving the base on the morning of February 24, she took not only the essentials but also that gift, which she had bought in advance.
“I remember when we were loading our things into the cars, ‘Siren’ was carrying another box. I said something like, ‘We already have so much stuff—leave that box at the base.’ But Yulia replied that she really needed it.”
On March 3, Oleksandr took “Yula” to his place because the guys from his company wanted to wish her a happy birthday.
“They gave me lots of little things—a flashlight, candles, lighters—all the essentials I needed at the time, as well as some sweets. But the best gift they gave me was a stove carrier, because mine is so heavy. I was so happy with that gift!”
“Sirena” also congratulated “Yula” and handed her a box that she had carried so carefully from the base. Inside that box was a portrait, painted from a photo of “Yula,” showing her sitting near the Starokrymsky Quarry, which is near Mariupol.
“I used to carry this gift with me all the time, too, but when we were at the medical station of Military Unit 3057, we were hit by ‘Smerch’ rockets, and the painting was buried under the rubble.”
“Siren” died in a bunker under the rubble
When “Yula” returned, “Siren” was already gone—they’d taken her to “Azovstal.” They said a medic was needed in one of the bunkers.
“Honestly, I was really glad then that they’d taken her to a safe place. She’d be in the bunker. When we still had internet, we’d write to each other from time to time. But then the connection was lost. I saw her again at Azovstal, after we broke through from the Right Bank to the plant. When we entered the plant’s grounds, I immediately started asking everyone where “Sirena” was and what had happened to her. Some said she’d recently died in a car accident, but I didn’t believe it; others didn’t know where she was. It wasn’t until early May that I made it to the bunker where Yulia was. Words can’t describe how happy I was to see her—I thought she was going to smother me with her hugs. If only I’d known then that those would be our last hugs…”
On May 8, a Russian plane dropped an aerial bomb on the bunker. That day, according to various estimates, between 50 and 150 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, including Yulia Zubchenko. “Siren” is survived by her son, who will soon turn 9; he is being raised by his grandparents—Yulia’s parents.
Before the full-scale war, Yulia and Oleksandr had no plans to get married. Although they already owned a house, they initially wanted to set it up and renovate it. But the rapid developments in Mariupol forced them to change their minds. Especially when, during the assault on Azovstal, a shell exploded nearby and a piece of shrapnel struck Oleksandr in the lumbar spine. Back in the bunker at the Azovstal plant, “Yula” removed the shrapnel from her beloved’s body, but “Zyat” was unable to walk normally for a long time afterward.
“Actually, Sasha proposed to me twice in Mariupol. The first time was at the “Primorye” shopping center, where we were based at the time. We went up to the roof to try to get a signal so we could call our families. I spoke with my mom; she was eager to come to Mariupol to pick us up. As we were walking down the stairs, Sasha lingered for a moment and caught up with me holding a little box. He got down on one knee and proposed. The ring was costume jewelry and was too big for me—it barely fit even on my pinky finger. Of course, I said yes right then, and he promised to buy me a real ring once this nightmare was over.”
“My son-in-law” decided to propose a second time at Azovstal. He asked Yulia to come out of the basement into the workshop.
“I remember there was a hole in the workshop roof from a shell hit. And the sun was shining through that hole. When there wasn’t heavy shelling, we’d go out there from time to time to warm up and get some fresh air. We were looking at the sun, warming ourselves, and suddenly Sasha got down on one knee again. He pulled a grenade ring out of his pocket—the one he and his guys had thrown into an enemy tank and set on fire.”
“Zyat” and “Yula” decided to register their marriage on the spur of the moment—on May 5, they talked about it and immediately went to “Bastion” to file the application.
“The registration was official. Our commander approved our applications, and Sasha sent scanned copies of them to his mom. She took them to the civil registry office, where they registered our marriage without us present. My husband picked up the marriage certificate from the civil registry office after he was released from captivity. I was still in the Taganrog prison at the time.”
Yulia says that once they had written the application at “Bastion,” they realized that May 5 was the day “Azov” was founded.
So now we have two important dates on the same day
On May 17, the couple left “Azovstal” together; on the way, they stopped to pick up the wounded. Because every group that left would take the wounded with them and help carry them to the ambulances.
“As we walked through the plant grounds, Sashko even managed to find an iris flower and gave it to me. It seemed like such a small gesture, but at that moment, it meant so much more.”
We walked to the buses together, and then they separated us. First the women were called in for inspection, then the men, so the married couples ended up on different buses. They didn’t even have time to say goodbye.
In Olenivka, the girls were housed in the disciplinary isolation unit (DIZO), and the boys in the barracks.
“We found out later where those barracks were and where all the guys were. After a while, the girls started being called out to work around the colony grounds. I refused to go on principle, because I didn’t want to work for those bastards. But one day, the girls came back from work and said they’d been working near the barracks and had seen our guys. So I decided I had to go to work—maybe I’d see Sasha. The next day, the girls were taken to work again, and I asked to go too. We were working not far from a barracks, and there, through a window, I saw a man. I can’t even begin to describe how happy I was. We couldn’t talk to them, and besides, we were quite far apart. So we nodded our heads and pointed things out with our fingers. I kept asking to go to work. Although we rarely ended up near the barracks, we still made it there from time to time and saw the boys. After my captivity, I told Sasha that we needed to learn sign language.”
They stayed in Olenivka until September; during that time, Yulia saw her husband six times. But they weren’t able to communicate properly. Still, she said she was glad that at least she could see her beloved and that he was more or less doing well. It’s true, though, that with each visit, the guys were getting thinner and thinner.
After his release from captivity, Oleksandr proposed to Yulia for the third time. Last year at Christmas, the couple traveled to Lviv—it was their vacation.
“We walked into an alley where the ‘YaMariupol’ center is located—the walls there are covered in graffiti. And while I was looking around, Sasha proposed to me once again. We didn’t celebrate our first anniversary because I was in the hospital recovering from surgery, and Sasha was already back on duty. As for this anniversary, we’ll see—we haven’t made any plans yet because we’re away and don’t know if we’ll be able to.”
We haven’t had a wedding yet because “Zat” and “Yula” are waiting for their friends, who have been held captive in Russia for almost two years.
“As soon as they’re released, we’ll have our wedding right away.”
Author: Hanna KURTSANOVSKA
On May 17, 2022, “Zyat” and “Yula,” along with other defenders of Mariupol, surrendered from Azovstal on orders. At first, both were held at the Olenivka penal colony. “Zyat” returned from captivity on September 21, 2022—during a large-scale prisoner-of-war exchange. That same month, Yulia was transferred from Olenivka to Taganrog. She remained in a Russian prison until December 31, 2022.
She was studying to become a teacher but dreamed of serving in “Azov”
Yulia and Oleksandr met on a social media platform in late 2015. Oleksandr visited Yulia several times in Uman, where she was studying, and she visited him just as many times in Mariupol. The couple then began a relationship.
“I was studying at a teachers’ university in his hometown, and Oleksandr would come to visit me during his leave; he had been serving in Azov since 2015.”
In 2017, Yulia graduated from university with a degree in elementary education and immediately moved to Mariupol to be closer to her boyfriend. She got a job at School No. 55, where she worked until 2020.
“I’d wanted to join the regiment since 2015, when I started visiting Sasha, but I had to finish my studies and work for three years. So, after I finished teaching at the school and saw my fourth-grade class through to graduation, I immediately resigned and joined the ranks of ‘Azov.’ In August 2020, I signed a three-year contract and served as a personnel officer in the regiment’s medical unit.”
A year later, Oleksandr and Yulia’s dream came true—they bought a house in Mangush, less than 20 kilometers from the center of Mariupol, and a car. They also got a sheepdog named Ukr.
“That’s when all our shared plans and dreams began to come true.”
A Trayserver for a Birthday
When the full-scale invasion began, Yulia and Oleksandr were in Urzuf. In the morning, all the soldiers left the base: “Zyat” with his men—he was then the commander of the 3rd Company of the 2nd Battalion—and “Yula” with the medics.
“We were apart at first—Sashko was with his company on the Right Bank, and I was with some medics from the 2nd Battalion headquarters, also in the Primorsky District, but in a different location.”
Always by “Yula’s” side was medic Yulia Zubchenko, codenamed “Siren.” The girls joined the regiment together, lived in the same room, and spent their free time together. And they became close friends.
“This person helped and supported me in everything. And not just me. From the very first days of the fighting in Mariupol, ‘Siren’ constantly tried to join the guys on evacuation missions, but she was left behind—just like me—at headquarters as a medic. They kept telling her that she had a young son, so she should stay where it was safe.”
On her birthday, “Yula” received a gift from her friend. When “Siren” was leaving the base on the morning of February 24, she took not only the essentials but also that gift, which she had bought in advance.
“I remember when we were loading our things into the cars, ‘Siren’ was carrying another box. I said something like, ‘We already have so much stuff—leave that box at the base.’ But Yulia replied that she really needed it.”
On March 3, Oleksandr took “Yula” to his place because the guys from his company wanted to wish her a happy birthday.
“They gave me lots of little things—a flashlight, candles, lighters—all the essentials I needed at the time, as well as some sweets. But the best gift they gave me was a stove carrier, because mine is so heavy. I was so happy with that gift!”
“Sirena” also congratulated “Yula” and handed her a box that she had carried so carefully from the base. Inside that box was a portrait, painted from a photo of “Yula,” showing her sitting near the Starokrymsky Quarry, which is near Mariupol.
“I used to carry this gift with me all the time, too, but when we were at the medical station of Military Unit 3057, we were hit by ‘Smerch’ rockets, and the painting was buried under the rubble.”
“Siren” died in a bunker under the rubble
When “Yula” returned, “Siren” was already gone—they’d taken her to “Azovstal.” They said a medic was needed in one of the bunkers.
“Honestly, I was really glad then that they’d taken her to a safe place. She’d be in the bunker. When we still had internet, we’d write to each other from time to time. But then the connection was lost. I saw her again at Azovstal, after we broke through from the Right Bank to the plant. When we entered the plant’s grounds, I immediately started asking everyone where “Sirena” was and what had happened to her. Some said she’d recently died in a car accident, but I didn’t believe it; others didn’t know where she was. It wasn’t until early May that I made it to the bunker where Yulia was. Words can’t describe how happy I was to see her—I thought she was going to smother me with her hugs. If only I’d known then that those would be our last hugs…”
On May 8, a Russian plane dropped an aerial bomb on the bunker. That day, according to various estimates, between 50 and 150 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, including Yulia Zubchenko. “Siren” is survived by her son, who will soon turn 9; he is being raised by his grandparents—Yulia’s parents.
Before the full-scale war, Yulia and Oleksandr had no plans to get married. Although they already owned a house, they initially wanted to set it up and renovate it. But the rapid developments in Mariupol forced them to change their minds. Especially when, during the assault on Azovstal, a shell exploded nearby and a piece of shrapnel struck Oleksandr in the lumbar spine. Back in the bunker at the Azovstal plant, “Yula” removed the shrapnel from her beloved’s body, but “Zyat” was unable to walk normally for a long time afterward.
“Actually, Sasha proposed to me twice in Mariupol. The first time was at the “Primorye” shopping center, where we were based at the time. We went up to the roof to try to get a signal so we could call our families. I spoke with my mom; she was eager to come to Mariupol to pick us up. As we were walking down the stairs, Sasha lingered for a moment and caught up with me holding a little box. He got down on one knee and proposed. The ring was costume jewelry and was too big for me—it barely fit even on my pinky finger. Of course, I said yes right then, and he promised to buy me a real ring once this nightmare was over.”
“My son-in-law” decided to propose a second time at Azovstal. He asked Yulia to come out of the basement into the workshop.
“I remember there was a hole in the workshop roof from a shell hit. And the sun was shining through that hole. When there wasn’t heavy shelling, we’d go out there from time to time to warm up and get some fresh air. We were looking at the sun, warming ourselves, and suddenly Sasha got down on one knee again. He pulled a grenade ring out of his pocket—the one he and his guys had thrown into an enemy tank and set on fire.”
“Zyat” and “Yula” decided to register their marriage on the spur of the moment—on May 5, they talked about it and immediately went to “Bastion” to file the application.
“The registration was official. Our commander approved our applications, and Sasha sent scanned copies of them to his mom. She took them to the civil registry office, where they registered our marriage without us present. My husband picked up the marriage certificate from the civil registry office after he was released from captivity. I was still in the Taganrog prison at the time.”
Yulia says that once they had written the application at “Bastion,” they realized that May 5 was the day “Azov” was founded.
So now we have two important dates on the same day
On May 17, the couple left “Azovstal” together; on the way, they stopped to pick up the wounded. Because every group that left would take the wounded with them and help carry them to the ambulances.
“As we walked through the plant grounds, Sashko even managed to find an iris flower and gave it to me. It seemed like such a small gesture, but at that moment, it meant so much more.”
We walked to the buses together, and then they separated us. First the women were called in for inspection, then the men, so the married couples ended up on different buses. They didn’t even have time to say goodbye.
In Olenivka, the girls were housed in the disciplinary isolation unit (DIZO), and the boys in the barracks.
“We found out later where those barracks were and where all the guys were. After a while, the girls started being called out to work around the colony grounds. I refused to go on principle, because I didn’t want to work for those bastards. But one day, the girls came back from work and said they’d been working near the barracks and had seen our guys. So I decided I had to go to work—maybe I’d see Sasha. The next day, the girls were taken to work again, and I asked to go too. We were working not far from a barracks, and there, through a window, I saw a man. I can’t even begin to describe how happy I was. We couldn’t talk to them, and besides, we were quite far apart. So we nodded our heads and pointed things out with our fingers. I kept asking to go to work. Although we rarely ended up near the barracks, we still made it there from time to time and saw the boys. After my captivity, I told Sasha that we needed to learn sign language.”
They stayed in Olenivka until September; during that time, Yulia saw her husband six times. But they weren’t able to communicate properly. Still, she said she was glad that at least she could see her beloved and that he was more or less doing well. It’s true, though, that with each visit, the guys were getting thinner and thinner.
After his release from captivity, Oleksandr proposed to Yulia for the third time. Last year at Christmas, the couple traveled to Lviv—it was their vacation.
“We walked into an alley where the ‘YaMariupol’ center is located—the walls there are covered in graffiti. And while I was looking around, Sasha proposed to me once again. We didn’t celebrate our first anniversary because I was in the hospital recovering from surgery, and Sasha was already back on duty. As for this anniversary, we’ll see—we haven’t made any plans yet because we’re away and don’t know if we’ll be able to.”
We haven’t had a wedding yet because “Zat” and “Yula” are waiting for their friends, who have been held captive in Russia for almost two years.
“As soon as they’re released, we’ll have our wedding right away.”
This is an automatic translation generated by DeepL.
