Ukraine honors the memory of fallen defenders: how the Memory Table campaign is taking place in the cities of the country.

According to FREEДOM:

Day of Memory of the Defenders of Ukraine

Today in Ukraine, the memory of fallen defenders and defenders is honored. For the third consecutive year, the 'Memory Table' campaign is taking place across the country. Tables are reserved in establishments that remain empty during the day as a sign of waiting for those who will not return. FreeDOM reports on how different cities in Ukraine joined the campaign.

Table Reservation in Memory of Heroes

In Ukraine, the memory of heroes who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of the country is honored.

On this day, different establishments reserve places for the fallen heroes. In a bakery in Lviv, one of the tables will be set but will remain empty.

'For us, it is very important to carry the memory of our fallen defenders. We are very grateful to them. The first visitors were already here, as you can see, they wrote the names of their heroes on the list,' says bakery owner Svitlana Bondarenko.

Svitlana Bondarenko founded this bakery in honor of her deceased husband Yevhen, a soldier of the 80th Air Assault Brigade. They dreamed together of this business, but the realization of this idea was interrupted by the full-scale invasion of the Russian army. Svitlana's husband joined the Defense Forces, and in July 2022, she learned of his death during a combat mission in Donetsk. Now the bakery serves as a memory of the hero and a symbol of resilience.

'Honestly, I still do not fully realize that he has died. And, honestly, I am waiting for a miracle to happen, and he will return,' notes Svitlana.

Volunteers and Table Reservations in Kharkiv and Odesa

Kharkiv resident Olha Zolotnytska became a volunteer from the first days of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. In the basement of her restaurant, she provided shelter for hundreds of Kharkiv residents looking for a safe place. The kitchen of the establishment operated around the clock, providing hot meals to both civilians and military personnel. On August 29, the Day of Memory of the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine, a table has already been reserved in the restaurant for a hero.

'I have a stack of blank postcards where you can fill in the names of your deceased relatives,' says Olha.

For the nationwide 'Memory Table' campaign, Olha and her team have been participating for the second consecutive year. In 2024, after the relatives and comrades of the fallen soldiers learned about the reserved tables for heroes, they continued to come for a few more days to honor the memory of their loved ones.

'It was some kind of magic, as they say, the word-of-mouth worked because there was no information in social networks. And we were already closed, around nine or ten in the evening, curfew, but people were approaching. These were the wives of the fallen guys, girlfriends, mothers, sisters. And they asked: 'Can we come to you, just to see, write, sit?'. Of course. And this continued the next day and beyond. Today is just the beginning, and we already have names signed,' says Olha Zolotnytska.

The 'Memory Table' campaign was also supported in Odesa. For the workers of this restaurant, the initiative has personal significance. Larysa writes the names of her acquaintances on cards—she cannot hold back tears.

The owner of the establishment is Italian Roberto Armaroli. He came to Ukraine in 2008, worked as a brand chef in Crimea. And in 2014, due to the Russian occupation of the peninsula, he had to leave. He explains that for him, freedom is the most important thing, which is definitely not about Russians. Honoring the memory of those who died for freedom Roberto considers extremely important. Among the restaurant staff are those who are currently serving in the Defense Forces, and the establishment employs veterans who have been wounded.

'I love this country. I am on the side of Ukraine in this war because you cannot take and change borders through military invasion. This is the minimum basis of international law,' says restaurant owner Roberto Armaroli.

At the bistro bar in the center of Odesa, the 'memory table' is located right at the entrance. The staff says it is very important for them that visitors immediately pay attention to the symbolic reserve.

Date of Memory of Defenders

The Day of Memory of the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine was established in 2019, on the anniversary of the shooting by the Russian army on August 29, 2014, of Ukrainian servicemen near Ilovaisk. Then the invaders, violating all agreements, shot the columns of Ukrainian military personnel who were leaving the so-called 'green corridor'.

The post An empty table as a symbol of waiting: Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa joined the campaign to honor the fallen defenders (VIDEO) appeared first on Freedom.

The 'Memory Table' initiative involves not only food establishments but also ordinary people who are trying to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers. This initiative reminds us of the importance of memory and support for those who have experienced loss, and has become a symbol of unity in this difficult time. The loved ones of the fallen, volunteers, and entrepreneurs join efforts to ensure that the memory of heroes lives on and their stories are not forgotten.