Love and happiness amid the war in Ukraine: The couple decided to get married in the middle of a bullet because ‘who knows what tomorrow will bring’

The couple’s wedding photos amid the ruins of Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second largest city and one of the cities hardest hit since the early days of the conflict – have been captured by media. Media around the world, including France24, Euronews and Africanews reshare. The wedding photos are hailed as symbols of love and happiness amid the fierce fighting in Ukraine.

Bride Anastasia Gracheva shared with Latvia-based news agency Meduza about her decision to wed her husband during the war – and how they used the wedding to help draw attention to the ongoing war. in Ukraine.

Bride Anastasia said that the couple had been in love for 2 years before deciding to get married. This was what she had been waiting and dreaming of for a long time. However, in fact, before February 24 – when the war with Russia broke out – nurse Anastasia was somewhat disappointed because of the long wait that the dentist Anton Sokolov refused to propose or marry.

“However, the war brought us closer together – we realized that even when the world around us collapsed, we still had each other. That even when you were giving all of your energy to the your country, for the people of Kharkiv, there is still someone to “share the sweetness” with you”, Anastasia emphasized.

When the war broke out, Anastasia and Anton began providing medical support at home, and they stood side by side when someone asked to give them medicine or change their catheter.

“We are still helping civilians, but our focus is on those in the military and the Territorial Defense Force. Our volunteer work is now more than just a part of our lives. but our whole life,” Anastasia said.

According to bride Anastasia, volunteering with groom Anton has made her certain that she is “really the woman for him. And that he can trust me – that I share his values ​​and worldview.

On March 28, on the 2nd anniversary of love, Anton gave Anastasia a big surprise that she had been waiting for.

“He knelt down to propose and said he wanted to be with me as long as possible,” Anastasia shared emotionally, adding that they decided to get married on April 3, the bride’s birthday.

“We don’t want to wait anymore – who knows what will happen tomorrow. We know if we wait too long, Kharkiv, our homeland, may be gone,” Anastasia shared. .

According to the bride, because of the war, Ukrainians can now get married on the same day of applying for marriage without having to go to the marriage office – Accordingly, people can go to the police station, the office enlistment office or Department of Emergency Services office to register a marriage.

“We decided that we couldn’t have a normal wedding, we could have a ‘wartime’ wedding and use it to remind the world that Kharkiv was being bombed,” Anastasia said. strong.