ai–painting and story by Olha Dziziuk 

ai"We have always been one whole thing, even at the darkest moments, we found the strength to hold each other's hand tightly. You were my rock, my universe, my life. But on March 22, a sniper's bullet destroyed us, cruelly and mercilessly, the war tore our little world apart, took away our "WE" from me forever.

aiWe met when I had graduated from high school and Oleksiy was a second-year student at the Faculty of Biology. He was teaching a group of young ornithologists and I decided to attend. He spoke with such enthusiasm about preservation of biodiversity projects, research methods on bird fauna, and other things that I still do not really understand, that I simply could not help but fall in love.

aiEducated, erudite, with lights in his eyes and a sincere smile on his face. An active participant in the student nature protection movement. Together with like-minded people, they created the Nature Conservation Wife, actively promoted it, and organized many projects. He skillfully united people around him, charged with a common goal, always had a personal opinion and always defended it.

aiA sincere patriot, a distant relative of Nestor Makhno, a connoisseur of history and literature, a very interesting interlocutor. Oleksiy was my secret love until the moment he graduated from the university, when he was sent to work in the Lviv region, and I stayed in Zaporizhzhia to continue my studies.

aiIt was unbearable. He was missing. The corridors of the university were empty and uninteresting. His voice was not heard. It all seemed hopeless. But then life gave us a chance. Oleksiy came to a friend's wedding and went to the university to see who he would meet there, and he happened to meet me... Six months later, we got married, and I went to be with him at the Hunting and Fishing Farm in Lviv Oblast, where by that time he had already received the position of director.

aiBut I met the spring of 2022 without you.

aiThe war did not give me the slightest chance of seeing you again, hugging you, hearing the familiar "everything will be fine, I love you"

aiI LOVE YOU

aiI will try to save everything that was so important to US. I will try to save our «WE»