Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Couple Marry At Monastery In Kyiv Amid Air Raid Sirens

Yaryna Arieva and her partner Svyatoslav Fursin had planned to marry on the terrace of a restaurant in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in May, overlooking the Dnieper River, which originates in Valdai Hills in Russia. But they had to abandon the plans and opt for a hurried wedding at a monastery this week. Their idea of having a calm river and beautiful lights by their side for the wedding was replaced by the “scary” sound of air raid sirens ringing in their ears.

Ms Arieva and Mr Fursin decided to advance their wedding day as they were not sure what the future would be like. Tension had been building up for weeks and eventually what they feared most happened. Russian forces, which had been holding drills on the borders, suddenly appeared closer than ever, and a number of missiles began raining down on Kyiv and other major cities.

Anxiety gave way to fear and Ukrainians began leaving the cities to safer places. Roads and subways were choked, and those who could not leave the cities looked for shelters. This is the scenario that made the couple decide on a hurried wedding.

Ms Arieva, 21, a deputy on the Kyiv City Council, married Mr Fursin, 24, a software engineer, at Kyiv's St Michael's monastery. The couple, who met in October 2019 at a protest in Kyiv, appeared sombre in the photos.

In a report, CNN quoted Ms Arieva as saying, “That was very scary. It's the happiest moment of your life, and you go out, and you hear that.” She was indicting the sounds of air raid sirens. Determined to “fight for our land”, she added they may die in the process, but “we just wanted to be together before all of that”.

Early on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine, which began with a series of missile attacks. On the second day of the invasion, Russian forces advanced deep into Ukraine, with explosions being heard in Kyiv. Ukraine said that at least 137 “heroes” have died since Thursday.

Ms Arieva and Mr Fursin prepared to head to the local territorial defence centre after their wedding to join efforts to defend the country. “We have to protect the people we love and the land we live on,” said Ms Arieva.

Calling Mr Fursin as her “closest friend”, Ms Arieva hopes that they would be able to celebrate their marriage one day, free from the fear of an impending attack.