standing on his principles,
His decision to stand to honor
to lift the fallen, their memory,
their sacrifice, to stand his ground...
a shield of the warriors in his hand,
a vyshyvanka sewn over his heart
a helmet of memory for the fallen
the war dead, the athletes of Ukraine...
the cost of dignity, honor,
“Remembrance is not a violation.”
yet paying the ultimate cost
to stand with the heroes of Ukraine...
Dignity is more important
than any Olympic medal,
New awareness of war crimes,
the genocide of Russia in Ukraine...
-------
February 12, 2026
the cost of dignity
Ukraine Olympic flagbearer and Skeleton slider,
Vladyslav Heraskevych, wore a helmet with the images of fallen Ukrainian athletes.
The IOC ruled he could not wear it even in practice. When he refused to comply,
the IOC banned him from participating in the Milan Olympics. This set off a
firestorm around the world.
“What Vladyslav Heraskevych did wearing this helmet with the images of dead Ukrainian athletes is wholly consistent with the way the entire country of Ukraine honors its war dead every day, through the Moment of Honor at 9am every morning, in kneeling beside the road as a funeral procession passes, through the days of remembrance throughout the calendar, through the large images of the dead in cemeteries, to all the places across the country that have the images of the fallen.
The fallen are ever-present with the people
of Ukraine. His helmet is the embodiment of how he and the country honor the
fallen, all those killed by Russia, by its genocide in Ukraine.”
Edited December 28, 2025
echoes of the metronome – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/12/echoes-of-metronome-v3.html
during Moment of Honor (Вшануй), at 9:00am daily in Ukraine
https://www.threads.com/@moment_of_honor
https://www.facebook.com/momentofhonor/
https://www.instagram.com/moment_of_honor/
“We are a team that promotes the Minute of Silence,
and the culture of remembrance, inspired by Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh”
Edited December 23, 2025
no minute of silence – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/12/no-minute-of-silence-v3.html
based on an Instagram post by Julia Kochetova,
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DRH98GHiKSp/
Edited August 20, 2025
Flying from every flagpole – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/flying-from-every-flagpole-v5.html
June 4, 2025
to remember the dead
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/to-remember-dead.html
“to remember the dead is to appreciate the living”
Quote by defender about Cheka Fest, June 1, 2025 in Lviv,
https://www.instagram.com/cheka.fest/
2,000 participants remembered fallen combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh,
who died May 29, 2024, days before her 26th birthday on June 1, 2024.
Edited May 22, 2025
You hold each of them so closely – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/you-hold-each-of-them-so-closely-v2.html
a video (https://www.instagram.com/p/DHlbX7MtEjg/) of Ukrainian women defenders making Ukrainian Easter eggs with a picture of combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh on the table.
sisters in arms – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/04/sisters-in-arms-v3.html
written after reading post by defender of Ukraine about serving as
a woman in the army, for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025
February 27, 2025
touching bleeding flesh
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-defender.html
(written by a decorated medic on the front lines in Ukraine)
Edited February 26, 2025
The present memory of that day – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-present-memory-of-that-day-v2.html
Memory of February 24, 2022, as described by a defender of Ukraine
Edited January 13, 2025
Sacred Days – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/01/sacred-days-v3.html
All of my poems, photographs, and
videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. All rights are reserved.
Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)
for usage. See my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
poetry, Ukraine, defenders, victory, peace, Stand With
Ukraine, Glory to the Heroes, culture, identity, unity, love, spirit, legacy,
Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian, Moment of Honor, Iryna Tsybukh, Vladyslav
Heraskevych,
#poetry #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine #Defenders #Victory
#Peace #GlorytotheHeroes #culture #identity #unity #love #spirit #legacy
#TarasShevchenko #Ukrainian #MomentofHonor #Cheka #IrynaTsybukh #VladyslavHeraskevych
His decision to stand to honor
to lift the fallen, their memory,
their sacrifice, to stand his ground...
a vyshyvanka sewn over his heart
a helmet of memory for the fallen
the war dead, the athletes of Ukraine...
“Remembrance is not a violation.”
yet paying the ultimate cost
to stand with the heroes of Ukraine...
than any Olympic medal,
New awareness of war crimes,
the genocide of Russia in Ukraine...
February 12, 2026
the cost of dignity
“What Vladyslav Heraskevych did wearing this helmet with the images of dead Ukrainian athletes is wholly consistent with the way the entire country of Ukraine honors its war dead every day, through the Moment of Honor at 9am every morning, in kneeling beside the road as a funeral procession passes, through the days of remembrance throughout the calendar, through the large images of the dead in cemeteries, to all the places across the country that have the images of the fallen.
Edited December 28, 2025
echoes of the metronome – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/12/echoes-of-metronome-v3.html
during Moment of Honor (Вшануй), at 9:00am daily in Ukraine
https://www.threads.com/@moment_of_honor
https://www.facebook.com/momentofhonor/
https://www.instagram.com/moment_of_honor/
“We are a team that promotes the Minute of Silence,
and the culture of remembrance, inspired by Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh”
Edited December 23, 2025
no minute of silence – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/12/no-minute-of-silence-v3.html
based on an Instagram post by Julia Kochetova,
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DRH98GHiKSp/
Edited August 20, 2025
Flying from every flagpole – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/flying-from-every-flagpole-v5.html
June 4, 2025
to remember the dead
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/to-remember-dead.html
“to remember the dead is to appreciate the living”
Quote by defender about Cheka Fest, June 1, 2025 in Lviv,
https://www.instagram.com/cheka.fest/
2,000 participants remembered fallen combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh,
who died May 29, 2024, days before her 26th birthday on June 1, 2024.
Edited May 22, 2025
You hold each of them so closely – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/you-hold-each-of-them-so-closely-v2.html
a video (https://www.instagram.com/p/DHlbX7MtEjg/) of Ukrainian women defenders making Ukrainian Easter eggs with a picture of combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh on the table.
sisters in arms – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/04/sisters-in-arms-v3.html
written after reading post by defender of Ukraine about serving as
a woman in the army, for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025
February 27, 2025
touching bleeding flesh
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-defender.html
(written by a decorated medic on the front lines in Ukraine)
Edited February 26, 2025
The present memory of that day – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-present-memory-of-that-day-v2.html
Memory of February 24, 2022, as described by a defender of Ukraine
Edited January 13, 2025
Sacred Days – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/01/sacred-days-v3.html
Poetry Where You Live.
No comments:
Post a Comment