3 weeks ago
Ukraine Mourns 'Collector of Souls' Killed Recovering War Dead
Ukraine is saying goodbye to a very brave man named Oleksiy Yukov.
He was 40 years old and spent more than twenty years doing something very difficult: finding and burying people who died in wars.
Wars leave bodies behind in fields, forests, and ruined places, and Yukov believed every single person deserves a proper burial.
He even recovered the bodies of Russian soldiers, which some people did not agree with.
Yukov called this work 'fighting for every soul.'
Sadly, while working on one of these missions, a landmine exploded and he was killed.
A big funeral was held at a cathedral in Kyiv, and thousands of people came to say goodbye.
His wife, Evhenyia, promised to keep doing his work, sobbing as she spoke.
She said the dead deserve it, and so does he.
Many people called Yukov a 'collector of souls.'
Oleksiy Yukov, a 40-year-old Ukrainian volunteer known as a 'collector of souls,' died in a landmine explosion on August 5 during a recovery mission.
Thousands gathered at the Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr in central Kyiv on Saturday for his Orthodox Christian funeral, and mourners also met at Maidan Square.
Yukov founded the Platsdarm organization because he believed all war dead—civilians and soldiers, many of them Russian—deserve a proper burial.
A martial arts instructor from the Donbas region, he began recovering war dead as a teenager after finding Soviet and Russian soldiers' remains from World War II.
His widow, Evhenyia Kaluhyna, promised through tears to continue his work, saying the dead 'deserve it.'
- Who
- Oleksiy Yukov, a 40-year-old Ukrainian volunteer and founder of the Platsdarm organization, whose funeral drew thousands of mourners in Kyiv.
- What
- Yukov was killed by a landmine explosion while recovering war dead, and Ukraine held an Orthodox Christian funeral service in his honor.
- Where
- The funeral was held at the Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr in central Kyiv, with mourners gathering at Maidan Square; his recovery work took place across the Donbas region.
- When
- Yukov died on August 5; the tribute and funeral service were held on Saturday.
- Why
- He believed all war dead, including Russian soldiers, deserve a proper burial, saying his work was how he 'fights for every soul.'
Recover Every Soul
Leave Enemy Dead Behind
Recovering Russian war dead
Recover Every Soul
Yukov and Platsdarm insisted Russian soldiers' bodies should also be recovered and buried, saying 'this is how we fight for every soul' and that every soul deserves to return home.
Leave Enemy Dead Behind
Some people believed Russian bodies should simply be left behind and 'rot,' a view Yukov explicitly disagreed with.
Key facts
- Full name
- Oleksiy Yukov
- Age at death
- 40
- Date of death
- August 5 (landmine explosion during a recovery mission)
- Organization founded
- Platsdarm ('bridgehead')
- Years of service
- More than two decades recovering war dead
- Funeral
- Orthodox Christian service at the Cathedral of Saint Volodymyr, Kyiv
- Mourners
- Thousands, including gatherings at Maidan Square
- Widow
- Evhenyia Kaluhyna, who pledged to continue his work
Quotes
Evhenyia Kaluhyna
Yukov’s widow and grieving spouse
“"Remote mines, shelling, drones - everything is against you. But you go and do everything to ensure that every soul returns home," he said. "When they say: ‘Let them rot,’ I do not agree. This is how we fight for every soul."”
NDTV
“"The work was difficult and terrifying," she said. "But I promise you we will continue it because the (dead) deserve it, and you deserve it for everything you did."”
NDTV
Sources
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