Borodyanka is one among the worst-hit parts of Ukraine since the invasion began on February 24th, 2022.
Countless lives have been lost as Russia's invasion of Ukraine is nearing two months. A young girl's letter to her mom, whom she lost in the ravaged city of Borodyanka, is breaking people's hearts all over the world.
Anton Gerashchenko—an advisor and a former deputy minister at Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs—took to Twitter recently, to share a photo of the letter that the 9-year-old girl wrote in a notebook to her mother.
According to PEOPLE, the March 8, 2022 letter is signed by "Galia." While it's unclear how the official came into possession of the letter, Galia's words shine a light on the effect of the war, and people are commenting that this is all the more reason that it must come to an end.
"Mom, this letter is your present," Galia wrote, according to a translation. "If you think that you nurtured me for no reason, you are not right. Thank you for the 9 years of my life. Thank you so much for my childhood. You are the best mother in the world! I will never forget you! I wish you happiness in heaven. I wish you to go to heaven. We will meet in heaven. I will try to behave myself to go to heaven. Kissing you."
Here's the letter from 9-old girl to her mom who died in #Borodianka.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 8, 2022
"Mom!
You're the best mom in the whole world. I'll never forget you. I wish you'll get in Heaven and be happy there. I'll do my best to be a good person and get in Heaven too. See you in Heaven!
Galia xx". pic.twitter.com/07l7vfQxM4
People left several comments under the post, calling for the war to end. "The situation of this child especially without a mother is heartbreaking. I can imagine this child's turmoil. Shame on the Russian army for not respecting people's innocence," tweeted one user.
"How long children would be made orphans, parents to lose children, couples to mourn on spouses... Can sanity prevail ever? Murdering humans and annihilating every other thing for a show of might and subjugation of weak," wrote another. "This is not only heartbreaking but shameful on the mankind who could have chosen humanity over violence," tweeted a third person.
Borodyanka is one of the worst-hit parts of Ukraine ever since the invasion began, on February 24, 2022. According to The Guardian, although Ukrainian officials are still counting the total death toll in Borodyanka, officials put "conservative" estimates at 5,000 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the destruction in the city "much more disastrous" than in the neighboring city of Bucha, which emerged as an example of Russian brutality after their withdrawal from the area late last month.
Borodyanka today. An absolute tragedy pic.twitter.com/OMLF8eoEuv
— Anastasiia Lapatina (@lapatina_) April 10, 2022
Disclaimer: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a developing story, and we’ll update as we learn more. Information is swiftly changing and Women Working is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency in developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication.
References:
https://people.com/human-interest/girl-9-writes-emotional-letter-to-mom-who-died-in-ukraine/
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1512392063123402758
Cover Image Source: Twitter | Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en)
