The selfless, heroic women of Ukraine will help win the war in Europe

In Kyiv, near the ministry of foreign affairs, my place of work, there’s one of the most famous monuments in Ukraine – a statue of the first princess of Kievan Rus, Olga of Kyiv (regency 945 – 960). Under Olga, a fearless and outstanding leader, Kievan Rus was a prosperous state ruled by law. It was always very empowering to walk past one of the most-admired women every day on my way to work.

We have many inspiring women in Ukrainian history. Strong, wilful, brave and with an unbreakable spirit. Today, when I look at my war-torn country, I cannot believe the courage, will and strength Ukrainian women showcase. I wholeheartedly admire each and every one of them, and when I look at our women I know we will win.

When Russia first attacked us in 2014, Ukrainian women stood up for their country and are still standing their ground. They protect their families, they work to support the army, they teach, they take care of those who are unable to take care of themselves, they volunteer and they join our police and military services in huge numbers. Our women truly serve in every capacity of saving our lives and protecting our freedom.

As of today, we have 37,000 women serving in our military and 16,000 of them are combat participants and serve on active duty. It’s one-fifth of our army and it’s a huge number — one of the biggest among Nato countries, for sure. When our president and our minister of defence speak of our army, it’s always both “heroes and heroines”. So we know women play a very important role in our defence.

Just a few days ago we lost one of the true Ukrainian heroines — a doctor from the Ukrainian volunteer paramedic organisation responsible for saving thousands of lives, the “Hospitallers”. 

This volunteer organisation of paramedics has been responsible for saving thousands of lives in Ukraine from 2014 when Russia started its bloody attack on Ukraine. The Hospitallers’ slogan is, “For the sake of every life.” Hospitallers is like a home to many of our female heroines, and I want to tell you about a couple of them today.  

Meet Yaryna Chornoguz

Yaryna Yaroslavivna Chornoguz is a well-known Ukrainian author and poet. Talent runs in her family — Yaryna is a granddaughter of Ukrainian writer Oleg Chornoguz. Yaryna is also a well-respected and trusted volunteer, marine and combat medic of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

After Russia started its attack on our country in 2014, Yaryna left her philology career in favour of a military one. She worked for a long time alongside the Hospitallers and joined the marines last year.

Yaryna says that women in the military are able to positively influence the morale because when men of her garrison see her — a woman who is definitely not as strong physically, though standing tall and fearless with them for their common goal — it gives them additional motivation and will.

Yaryna knows we are going to win and she is one of our heroes that are making it happen. She’s stated that the only thing she’s afraid of is losing someone she loves in this war. Yaryna has a little daughter who is waiting for Ukraine’s victory and her mom, and Yaryna fights so they can live their lives safely at home.

Meet Olena Gegasimyuk

Olena Gerasimyuk is a famous Ukrainian writer and poetess. Her books Deafness, Prison Song and Shooting Calendar are beautiful representations of modern Ukrainian poetry. Olena is a well-known public figure in Ukraine and a very trusted volunteer. She is currently saving the lives of our soldiers in the Hospitallers.

Her war with Russia also started in 2014 when pro-Russian president Victor Yanukovich decided to go against the will of the Ukrainian people to please Putin and put Ukraine on the path of becoming a part of Russia. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. 

Then, Olena was an active participant of the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity. After Russia occupied Crimea and part of the Donbas region, she went to the frontlines as a volunteer, and later, in 2017, she joined the Hospitallers. 

She worked in many hospitals on the front line right until becoming seriously ill a few years ago and was in hospital for a year. Now Olena is the head of the Hospitallers’ logistics department in Lviv and helps her brothers and sisters in arms every single day. 

Meet Natalia Frauscher (call sign ‘Austrian')

I’m writing this with a heavy heart. Natalia Frauscher was a true patriot of Ukraine, a fighter, a beautiful person and a hero. Natalia was a doctor. She emigrated to Austria years ago and lived in Innsbruck. She had a very comfortable and safe life there with her family, but when the Russian plague came into our lives, she couldn’t just watch from the sidelines. Natalia came to Ukraine and joined the Hospitallers.

This wasn’t the first time Natalia stepped up to offer help. A talented surgeon, she felt the need to go where people were hurt and suffering. She also volunteered in Donbas between 2014 and 2015 and saved hundreds of lives. After full-scale war broke out in February, she told her support system, her family and her friends, that she couldn’t eat, sleep or live knowing that at this time people were dying in Ukraine, people she knew she could help.

In one of Natalia’s Instagram posts she posted before she came to Ukraine to help, she says her grandmother didn’t cry when Stalin died. She closed the door so the neighbours wouldn’t see and celebrated his death.

Natalia died just a few days ago when one of the Hospitallers’ buses crashed.

It’s hard to count the lives she saved over the years — the lives Russia tried to destroy and she brought back to life. Her selfless heroism will be forever remembered. She will be forever missed. DM