Semibratovo: In the small Russian town of Semibratovo, a solemn memorial stands as a stark testament to the human cost of the war in Ukraine. Eleven names, engraved on black marble, belong to young men from the town who lost their lives in the conflict. For three years, the war has raged far from Semibratovo’s borders, yet its impact is deeply felt in this quiet community.
The memorial, situated in the schoolyard where many of the fallen once played as children, features a life-sized figure of a soldier etched into the stone. An inscription dedicates it to “our fellow countrymen who left their families after February 24, 2022, for the honour and sovereignty of our Motherland.” At the base, a wreath in the colours of the Russian flag lies in remembrance.
In the Russian town of Semibratovo, the names of 11 young men who died fighting in Ukraine are carved onto the black marble of a memorial that’s a stark reminder of a war now three years old. More than 100 of the town’s 6,000 people are serving in Ukraine https://t.co/k4OtuvHra2 pic.twitter.com/IHuP4X98rh
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 21, 2025
Despite the town’s modest population of 6,000, over 100 residents are currently serving in Ukraine. The war is not just a distant event; it has reshaped everyday life.
The decision to place the memorial at the school was intentional, says Viktor Sidorov, chairman of the Semibratovo veterans’ council. “So that the children would walk by, and at least something would remain in their subconscious—that this war is a terrible thing,” he explains.
For Sidorov, the monument serves as an undeniable statement. “It is a war, and not some kind of ‘operation’. People are dying there,” he says.
Alexei Gavrilov, one of the monument’s organizers, believes it has reinforced the reality of the conflict for the town’s residents, even those without loved ones on the front lines.
Angelina, a local resident, sees the memorial as a symbol of patriotism. “It shows young people the patriotism of our fellow villagers,” she says.
Daria, a 20-year-old mother, shares her perspective as she pushes a pram past the monument. “I feel pride for our guys who were there and died like this,” she says.
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As the war continues, new names have been added to the memorial—many belonging to men born in the mid-1990s. Each name represents a life cut short, a family left grieving, and a community forever changed.
When President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022, he framed it as a “special military operation,” a term that suggested normal life in Russia would remain undisturbed. But for towns like Semibratovo, the conflict has permeated every aspect of public life.
Elsewhere in town, photographs of fallen soldiers now hang on the gates of the local Orthodox church. In a nearby snow-covered cemetery, flags of the Wagner mercenary group and Storm-Z convict units ripple above freshly dug graves. One headstone depicts a soldier gripping a machine gun, bearing the inscription: “He who died in battle lives forever!”
As the war stretches into its fourth year, its presence in Semibratovo remains inescapable—etched into stone, woven into daily life, and memorialized in the faces of the fallen.
