Hundreds of Ukrainians say goodbye to a democracy activist who was killed in the war in Kiev. The funeral of 24-year-old Roman Ratushny took place on Saturday at Saint Michael’s Monastery in the capital Kiev. Ratuschny had played an important role in the pro-European revolution of 2013-2014. He was killed on June 9 near the town of Izyum in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine in clashes with Russian forces.
Four soldiers carried Ratuschny’s coffin through the crowd of mourners. The coffin was then placed at the entrance of the monastery. Some mourners held flowers, others had Ukrainian flags on their backs.
Maidan Square was once the center of the protests
Another meeting in Ratushny’s honor was later scheduled in Maidan Square. This square was the local center of the revolution that led to the overthrow of pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. At the time, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians protested against Yanukovych because his government annulled the partnership agreement with the EU. Yanukovych then fled to Russia and Moscow militarily occupied Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula in Crimea.
Ratuschny – then still a student – was one of the first protesters on the Maidan in the winter of 2013/2014. Later he became involved in the fight against corruption. After the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, he joined the army. Ratushny is buried in the Baikove Cemetery in Kiev. Many famous Ukrainian personalities have their final resting place there.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
