麻豆影视

World

Long days of gravediggers tell story of Ukraine's war dead

Undertakers lower the coffin of Ukrainian serviceman Andrii Romanenko at the Kryvyi Rih cemetery in eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Undertakers lower the coffin of Ukrainian serviceman Andrii Romanenko at the Kryvyi Rih cemetery in eastern Ukraine, Monday, April 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Share
KRYVYI RIH, Ukraine -

The graves are dug in the morning. Four plots, each two meters deep in the section of a cemetery in a central Ukrainian city devoted to the nation's fallen soldiers.

The day begins for Oleh Itsenko, 29, and Andrii Kuznetsov, 23, shortly after dawn, when the two diggers report for the gruelling work. A day in their lives tells the story of Ukraine's mounting war dead. They won't be finished until sunset.

With a tractor equipped with an earth auger they bore into the ground. Armed with shovels, they go about carving out perfect rectangles with precision, the final resting place for the country's soldiers killed in fierce battles on Ukraine's eastern front.

There will be four funerals today in the main cemetery of Kryvyi Rih, an iron-mining city 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the capital, Kyiv.

"It's hard," says Itsenko, a former metal worker. "But someone's got to do it."

In Ukraine, even the business of death has become routine as funerals are held for soldiers across the country almost every day, at times multiple times a day. The war's death toll is kept a closely guarded secret by government and military officials, but it can be measured in other ways: through the long working hours of the two young men, the repetitive rhythm of shovels and spades scooping up soil, the daily processions of weeping mourners.

Western officials estimate there have been at least 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed or wounded since Russia's full-scale invasion began last year. Estimates for Moscow's war dead and wounded are double that as Ukrainian military officials report Russia is using wave tactics to exhaust resources and deplete their morale.

Many soldiers have died fighting in Bakhmut, in what has become the war's longest battle, and among the deadliest. Ukrainian forces in the city are surrounded from three directions by advancing Russian invaders, and are determined to hold on to the city to deprive Moscow of any territorial victories. In the process many Ukrainian servicemen have died.

At 11 a.m., when the first coffin arrives, the two men lean back, exhausted, under the late morning sun. Shovels to the side, they peer from under baseball caps as the familiar scene, now a routine, unfolds.

The family of Andrii Vorobiov, 51, weep as they enter the premises. Dozens more mourners arrive in buses. The deceased's fellow servicemen weep as the coffin, draped in the yellow and blue of the national flag, is placed on the gravel. Vorobiov died in an aerial bomb attack in Bakmut, leaving behind three children.

When the priest is done reciting the funeral rites, Vorobiov's wife throws her hands over his coffin and wails. His daughter holds his medals, won for acts of bravery in the battlefield.

"I won't see you again," she screams. "You won't come to breakfast. I can't bear it!"

Between tears and screams, Itsenko and Kuznetsov wait for the last handful of dirt to be tossed onto the lowered coffin. Then they can begin the work of filling Vorobiov's grave.

The outpouring of grief is normal, Kuznetsov said. He isn't affected most of the time because they are strangers.

But once, he was asked to help carry the coffin because there weren't enough pallbearers. He couldn't hold back his anguish in the middle of that crowd.

He didn't even know the guy, he reflected.

Kuznetsov never imagined he would be a gravedigger. He has a university degree in Technology. A good degree, he was told by his teachers.

"If it's so good then why am I doing this?" he asked, panting as he shovelled dirt into Vorobiov's grave.

There were no jobs, and he needed the money, he said finally.

Itsenko lost his job when the war broke out, and learned the local cemetery needed diggers. Without any options, he didn't need to think twice.

It is 1:30 p.m. While the two young men are still working to fill the first grave, another funeral is starting.

The family of Andrii Romanenko, 31, erects a tent to protect the coffin from the afternoon sun. The priest reads the rites and the wailing starts again.

Romanenko died when he was hit by a mortar defending the city of Bakhmut. A fellow servicemen, Valery, says they had served together in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk but parted ways in December.

"He went too soon," says Valery, sighing deeply. He speaks on the condition his last name be withheld, citing Ukrainian military protocols for active soldiers.

As mourners bid their last farewell and toss earth into Romanenko's grave, Itsenko and Kuznetsov still have not finished filling the first.

"Got to hurry," says Itsenko, wiping the sweat from his brow.

There will be two more funerals in the next hour. And tomorrow, there will be another three funerals. Neither man can afford to stop.

"What we are doing is for the greater good," Itsenko says. "Our heroes deserve a proper resting place."

But he, his family's only breadwinner, wouldn't want to be fighting alongside them.

"It's better here," he says, patting Vorobiov's grave with his shovel. Kuznetsov plunges the cross into the earth, the last step before the flowers are laid.

One done, three more to go.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

Canada

World

Politics

  • Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

Health

Sci-Tech

Entertainment

Business

Lifestyle

Sports

Autos

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

  • Weather watchers were treated to an exceptionally rare display on Friday evening as rare cloud formations filled Vancouver skies.

  • For some shoppers it was Nov. 1, but for others the first hints of Christmas - saccharine treats, festive-fragranced candles and gaudily wrapped gift sets - were being noticed in stores long before the final Halloween decor had been cleared.

  • Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

  • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift鈥檚 upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada鈥檚 largest city for a six-show run later this month.

  • One man was transported to hospital early Monday morning after a stabbing in the northwest end of the city, Toronto police say.

  • A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.

  • Two semis were among the vehicles involved in a multi-vehicle crash that brought westbound traffic along Stoney Trail Northwest to a standstill on Sunday.

  • NEW THIS MORNING

    NEW THIS MORNING

    An Ottawa boy with a rare disease will be getting the chance to see Taylor Swift in concert after the winner and organizers of an auction held on his behalf gifted the tickets to him.

  • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

  • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

  • The employers association at the Port of Montreal locked out nearly 1,200 longshore workers, bringing a halt to traffic at the port.

  • An elementary school in Greenfield Park on Montreal鈥檚 South Shore is closed after it was the target of an alleged arson attack.

  • Though most businesses are expected to be open on Remembrance Day, there are some establishments that will be closed to commemorate the holiday.

  • Monday is Remembrance Day, a time to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

  • Boasting 2,300 square metres of skating space at its new location, Edmonton's Rollers Roller Rink believes it is the largest in Canada.

  • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother鈥檚 death, during the Second World War.

  • It's been a trip to cherish for a group of Canadians visiting Belgium this week to honour the legacy of Indigenous soldiers.

  • A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

  • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

  • There will be two ceremonies taking place in Regina for Remembrance Day, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

  • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥

  • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

  • A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.

  • The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.

  • Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.

  • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

  • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

  • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

  • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

  • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

  • 11 AM:WATCH LIVE

    11 AM:WATCH LIVE

    The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.

  • A group of former NHL players faced off against York Regional Police officers in Newmarket Sunday afternoon to raise funds for Special Olympics programs across the province.

  • A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.

  • The agreed statement of facts was read to the court on Friday in the case of Alex Williams, the 24-year-old jail guard charged last fall with smuggling cannabis and tobacco into Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.

  • 11 AM:WATCH LIVE

    11 AM:WATCH LIVE

    Representatives of the Windsor Veterans Memorial Services Committee, military representatives, wreath bearers, government officials, and members of the public will attend the Cenotaph at City Hall Square for the outdoor service.

  • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

  • More details have been released about a police investigation at the Ambassador Bridge that connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, MI.

  • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

  • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

  • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

  • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

  • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

  • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

  • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

  • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

  • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

  • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

  • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

  • Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.

N.L.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

Stay Connected
Follow 麻豆影视