Three British men who gave their lives in service of Ukraine have been among the fallen remembered at a giant art installation in Kyiv.
Peter Fouché, James Wilton and Callum Tindal-Draper have been honoured at the ‘Heart of Ukraine’ in the city’s Southern Railway Station.
The names of the country’s fallen during the full-scale attack launched by Russia have been displayed since the war’s three-year mark on Monday.
Fouché, a combat medic and volunteer from Fulham, West London, was famous in Ukraine for evacuating more than 200 wounded soldiers.
The former South African flying squad sniper, who co-founded the Project Konstantin charity, died on June 27 last year while working on the frontline in eastern Ukraine.
The 49-year-old, who had also worked as a carpenter and a cabbie, had spoken to Metro about his ‘beautiful but hellish’ post from where he and his comrades were dashing in to the ‘zero line’ to evacuate injured Ukrainian soldiers.
James Wilton, 18, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, was killed while serving with the International Legion of Ukraine on the eastern front.
He died on July 23 last year in a Russian drone attack just minutes into his first mission after joining the fight against Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Callum Tindal-Draper, 22, from Gunnislake, Cornwall, was killed on November 5 last year while defending an observation point, also in the east. He had volunteered for the International Legion and was remembered as the ‘bravest of the brave’ by his commander.
‘They kept Ukraine’s heart beating’
Some of the first names to appear on the giant beating heart were employees of the Ukrainian Railways who gave their lives, whether by saving people or by simply doing their job.
Among them was track fitter Oleksandr Kot, who was killed at his workplace during the bombing of the Southern Railway infrastructure.
The age span includes six-year-old Sofiyka from Kyiv and Maia from Mykolaiv, who died at the age of 81.
More than 3,600 applications from all over the world have so far been submitted for names and details to be displayed on the installation.
Anyone can submit a person for inclusion by filling in an online form and have a video of the message sent back to them.
The fallen include civilians and military.
In a joint comment, the initiative’s organisers, Yaroslava Gres and Yulia Solovey, said: ‘The interactive Heart of Ukraine installation was created so that everyone could profess their love for their city or for Ukraine.
‘In just one week, thousands of people have shared their confessions.
‘But these days, the Heart of Ukraine has a focus: our military and civilians. Everyone taken by the war.
‘Everyone who became a victim of Russian aggression.
‘Every name is important. After all, the Heart of Ukraine beats thanks to these people. Wherever you may be, you can honour their memory.’
The project — created by Ukrainian culture organisation Ukraine WOW with the assistance of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia and the support of the Avrora multi-market chain — is showing the names until Saturday.
After that point, it will revert to its initial format of showing messages of love for people, places or Ukraine.
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