Vitaliy Kyrkach-Antonenko was a well-known activist and Ukrainian defender from the village of Maidan, Donetsk Oblast. At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he immediately went to defend his motherland.
Nataliya and Vitaliy met in Donetsk in 2004 during the presidential elections. Their shared pro-Ukrainian position brought the couple closer. They lived together happily for 18 years, until the war took Vitaliy's life.
After graduating from university, the Kyrkach-Antonenko couple returned to Slovyansk and started a business. On occasion, Vitaliy read a lot, drew, and took part in pro-Ukrainian events. In 2014, when Russia annexed Ukrainian Crimea and started their war in Donbas, the couple began volunteering. They donated part of their profits to the needs of the army.
"On the first day of the full-scale war, Vitaliy went to defend Ukraine. Our country and his love and service to it were always his top priority," Nataliya recalls. She didn't even try to persuade her husband not to go to war, because he had to do what he believed was right.
Vitaliy Kyrkach-Antonenko fought for 8 months. He served as an infantryman, but together with his comrades he performed other tasks, like mining forest roads close to the enemy's positions in order to prevent the Russians from leaving the encirclement during the offensive of Ukrainian troops.
On November 8-9, there were very heavy battles in the Svatove direction. Russian artillery, armor, and infantry were fighting against our forces. The enemy’s positions were very close to Ukrainian ones. Despite the fact that Vitaliy was an ordinary soldier, at that time he was assigned to be the leader of the squad. As a responsible and brave person, Vitaliy successfully handled his duties.
However, on November 9, around 12 o'clock, a shell exploded near the trench where Vitaliy's squad was sheltinging. Everyone who was nearby was concussed. A shell fragment struck Vitaliy in the head. Unfortunately, his wound was not survivable.
A few days before his death, Vitaliy had managed to come to his wife on leave. This meeting was extremely important for them, because they went for an ultrasound scan and found out that they were soon to have a baby girl. In August, when the couple saw each other only once in Slovyansk, Natalya became pregnant. They were both so happy holding the ultrasound photo.
"My heart breaks with devastation and horror at the future life without the brightest person I have ever met. Vitasyk left me the most important gift that can be in this world - a little baby who lives inside me. I hope that in half a year she’ill be born and look at me with his kind and gentle eyes," Natalya wrote on her Facebook after the news of her husband's death.
Vitaliy Kyrkach-Antonenko was a very handsome man, and his mates even gave him the callsign Krasyvyi (Handsome). But everyone who knew Vitaliy will remember him for spiritual beauty: his kindness, generosity, sincerity, and courage.
Unfortunately, Natalya could not attend her husband's funeral, because it was too dangerous for a pregnant woman to come to Slovyansk, which is located very close to the fighting.
"Not being able to say goodbye to you is unbearable pain and despair. Rest in peace, my gentle sunshine, and come to me in my dreams. I promise to dedicate the rest of my life to our little one and your dreams. And one day, finally, to be by your side. Sleep, my love, and I'll watch over your peaceful sleep. And your friends will avenge you," she wrote.
Now Natalya is trying to be strong for their daughter. She also decided to name her daughter Vitalina in honor of her father.
This material was prepared with financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation.
