Maryna Homeniuk and Yurii Orlov, a young couple in Kyiv, were among 24 people killed in a fierce Russian airstrike on Thursday. Friends say they had hoped to start a family.
Escape and Return
Like many Ukrainians, Maryna Homeniuk fled her homeland after Russia's full-scale invasion four years ago. She completed her degree in the Czech Republic, adding Vietnamese to her impressive list of languages, before returning home the following year. There, she met her beloved, Yurii Orlov.
Orlov, who captained the Kyiv Floorball Club after playing hockey for teams in the Ukrainian capital, was 30 years old. The couple's apartment building was flattened by a cruise missile during what Ukrainian military officials described as the biggest barrage of the war.
Final Respects
On Saturday, friends and family paid their final respects to Homeniuk, a 24-year-old English teacher. They had hoped to pay tribute to Orlov as well, but his body was not yet ready for burial.
“She was a very caring person. I feel very sorry, because she had so many dreams. She worked with children and wanted to have children herself someday, when times were safer,” said her friend Olesia Yukhnovych.
A Life of Languages and Travel
The couple met on a dating app after Homeniuk returned to Ukraine in 2023 from the Czech Republic, where she studied Vietnamese. Friends say she spoke about 10 languages, including fluent Korean and Chinese. A sensitive soul, she took in abandoned animals and loved to travel, saving up for adventures in new countries.
“This is a young person. This is a girl who had absolutely the whole future ahead of her,” said Anastasiia Petrushyna, a friend and colleague. “This future will no longer exist — our youth basically can’t have it. You never know what trouble awaits you.”
Differences That Complemented
Friends said they were glad Homeniuk met Orlov. Despite their differences — he loved sports and she loved art — it was obvious to everyone that they cared deeply for one another. Homeniuk went to every one of his games on Sundays; it was their tradition. He taught her how to play floorball, and she taught him English.
“It’s a shame. I should have been helping prepare for the wedding and I ended up helping prepare for the funeral,” said Yukhnovych. “It’s horrible.”
Relentless Attacks
Their deaths followed a very difficult winter of relentless Russian attacks on Kyiv. Yukhnovych said they often spoke about wanting to relocate from their neighborhood, Darnytsia, on Kyiv's left bank, where power cuts were restored later than in other parts of the city, but they couldn't afford to do so.
Yukhnovych texted Homeniuk after Thursday's attack but got no reply. “You never think something could happen to someone close to you, and you just message them as a precaution,” she said. “I never thought this would be one of those times when the message would remain unread.”
