Ukraine’s Funeral Workers Face Emotional Toll Amid Ongoing War

In the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, funeral director Svitlana Ostapenko grapples with the emotional weight of her work as the war continues to claim lives. With a career spanning five years, Ostapenko has grown accustomed to preparing the deceased for their final journeys. However, the rising number of casualties, particularly among the young, has begun to overwhelm her. “Death doesn’t discriminate between young and old,” she expressed, breaking down in tears during an interview with AFP.

The emotional toll on Ukraine’s funeral workers is profound, as they navigate their own experiences of loss while supporting grieving families. In Sumy, which lies near the Russian border, Ostapenko faces daily bombardments, with fighting drawing perilously close, sometimes within 20 kilometers (12 miles). Each day, she lays the region’s dead to rest, a routine that has only intensified since the onset of the invasion in early 2022.

On April 13, 2023, a devastating double missile strike on Sumy resulted in the deaths of 35 people and left many others injured. The streets of the city are now marked by the scars of war, as residents pass by historic buildings marred by shrapnel without a second thought. “We buried families, a mother and her daughter, a young woman of 33 who had two children,” Ostapenko recounted, underscoring the personal tragedies hidden behind the statistics.

Grief Beyond Numbers

Ukrainian authorities compile daily reports on the casualties resulting from Russian strikes, a grim tally that has reached tens of thousands of lives lost. Colleague Petro Bondar meticulously records the names of the deceased in a notebook, emphasizing their humanity. “They’re not just numbers,” Bondar stated. “They were living people, souls.”

Artist Igor Kruzo, who creates granite tombstones adorned with portraits of the deceased, shares a similar sentiment. At 60 years old, Kruzo finds it increasingly challenging to memorialize the faces of those he has come to know. “When you paint them, you observe their image, each with their own destiny,” he said, reflecting on the emotional weight of his work. His conversations with grieving families provide solace, yet the burden of loss remains heavy.

In the cemetery, where new graves for soldiers emerge among rows of headstones, Kruzo describes how he often rejuvenates the features of the deceased in his paintings. He recalled a mother who died shielding her child at the war’s onset: “A beautiful woman, full of life,” he described, highlighting the personal connections that haunt him.

The Impact of War on Mental Health

The war’s toll extends beyond physical casualties. In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had lost their lives since the conflict began, with “tens of thousands” more reported missing or in captivity—numbers many believe are likely understated. Conversely, estimates of Russian military deaths, according to independent sources such as Meduza and the BBC, suggest a toll exceeding 119,000.

Kruzo confides that the faces of the fallen invade his dreams, often depicting soldiers grieving at graves or friends of his daughter lying lifeless. “For the past three years, all my dreams have been about the war,” he remarked. Ironically, he immerses himself in work to cope with the emotional strain, stating, “It’s easier.”

Despite his stoic demeanor, he admits to living in a “kind of numbness,” striving to avoid depression. As he takes a moment to reflect, a young, pregnant woman gazes at a portrait of a soldier she lost, a stark reminder of the personal stories interwoven with the ongoing tragedy.

The experiences of funeral workers like Ostapenko, Bondar, and Kruzo illustrate the profound human impact of the war in Ukraine. As they navigate their daily realities, the emotional toll continues to rise, revealing the deep scars left by conflict on both the living and the deceased.