"Be worthy of deeds of our heroes": Posthumous letter from "hospitalist" Iryna Tsybukh (Cheka)

Iryna Tsybukh (Cheka), a 25-year-old journalist for "Suspilne" and a paramedic with the "Hospitallers" volunteer medical evacuation battalion, was killed on 29 May during a rotation in the Kharkiv sector. It happened a few days before her 26th birthday.

She joined the "Hospitallers" back in 2015. She later returned to civilian life and worked in the media. However, on 25 February 2024, she rejoined the medical unit.

In November 2023, the President awarded Iryna Tsybukh the Order of Merit on the occasion of the Day of Television, Radio and Communications. She is survived by her mother, father and brother.

On 23 May, Irina wrote on the social network X: "My birthday is coming up and I am proud to have lived to be 26."

However, the Russian occupiers took Tsybukh's life 2 days before her birthday.

Her brother, Yurii Tsybukh, published Iryna's posthumous letter, which she wrote on 8 April 2024:

"Hello, I'm sorry, I don't like it when you are sad, but time will pass and this despair will dissipate, you will have to get on with your life. So don't waste your time suffering, move on.

It's 19:19, Saturday 8 April 2023, my 5th crew and I are working for the 80th Brigade reconnaissance, Dream on by Aerosmith is playing in the background, and I've decided that this year I've had so many opportunities to die that I can find at least one to write a posthumous letter.

It is sad that we live so weak, dependent on public approval of life, that only death allows us to live in absolute freedom.

However, the trouble is that life is over and this freedom no longer has any meaning. Today and forever, I don't care what people say about me, about you, about this text, about anything.

Whether these sentences get likes or not, I'm not interested in anyone's opinion, I'm dead.

Freedom is the highest value. I spent all of my soon-to-be 25 years in complexes and fears. But more often than not, this noise had no place in front of my freedom.

Most of all, I would like to thank myself, my parents, brother, family and friends for allowing me to be free, to live the life I want.

The full-scale war forced me to stop being a slave to fears, and today, unfortunately, I have not been able to free myself completely, but I hope I will succeed, and this letter will help me.

To have freedom, you need to have other values, you need to understand yourself, know who you are, what personal happiness is and how you can get there. Having answered these questions, the most important thing is to keep going. Today, here in the Donetsk region, I am on my way, here I am myself and doing what I want.

In fact, nothing else matters, so this letter is attached so simply - at this moment, as well as when it happens, I am not sorry to die, because I am finally living the life I would like. I will not lie, to feel this indispensable, true freedom, I will have to go through more than one more session of therapy, fears and tears.

Today, everything is over, my life is over, and it was important for me to go through it with dignity: to be an honest, kind, loving person.

Today, we work for heroes, and this is a good opportunity to confirm our values - to be that person.

Thank you to everyone who loved and supported me.

Don't miss me, life is too short, if it continues after death, I'll see you.

Brother, don't feel bad, I stopped worrying about you when you were 17. Today you had your first tour of princely Lviv, and I am proud of you. Whoever you decide to be today, trust yourself, listen to yourself, love yourself, live your happy life. If I have the opportunity, I will support you from the sky. But it doesn't matter, as long as I'm alive, we loved each other, we were a great brother and sister, it was a good time, let these memories warm you, motivate you, but never make you sad.

To have the strength to be a free person, you have to be brave.

For only the brave have happiness, and it is better to die running than to live rotting.

Be worthy of the deeds of our heroes, don't be sad, be brave!

Kisses, yours. 08.04.23 Donetsk region".

The "Hospitallers" battalion noted: "It seems like a dream. That you are going to get in touch and we will hear your voice. We have no words. No one still believes in what happened. This is an indescribable pain and an incredible loss not only for the battalion, but for the whole of Ukraine."

Yana Zinkevych, MP and founder of the Hospitallers, said that Iryna Tsybukh was one of the brightest and most powerful people: "Her attitude to reality was an example for others. Her grace often irritated those who were deep in despondency. She carried her rank bravely and unreservedly, choosing the hottest areas to work in and the most valiant brothers and sisters to join her crew. She never refused to help the battalion find the necessary resources. She endured all the moments of service and always rushed to where her knowledge as a paramedic was most needed."

Journalist Vakhtang Kipiani said he met Tsybukh two weeks ago:

"She came to the lecture about the national memorial cemetery, asked some pointed questions, then we had a short conversation, saying goodbye. In the messenger, she offered to publish an interview with the battalion commander - text plus video, but now this will not happen either. On her page on 14 May, the day we met, she wrote the following: "Life can end tomorrow, so it's pointless to please everyone and be quiet, when this very 'quietness' can lead to the worst."

Poet and soldier Pavlo Vyshebaba recalls that Iryna had a very sharp mind, humanity and charisma:

"Since 2022, we have been supporting each other online, trying to cross paths in the service, but we didn't have time. We planned to create a podcast together after the front, but we didn't have time. She wanted to do this to help the military adapt and civilians understand veterans. She had a lot of ideas and plans, most of which she would have implemented in the best possible way. This is a loss not only for her family, but also for Ukraine, as Iryna was supposed to be part of its peaceful future. May she rest in peace. Honour."

"He was a wonderful, courageous, real, brave and beautiful person who went to war voluntarily. And she died during a rotation in the Kharkiv sector. Thank you for you. From the dew and water. My condolences to all the family. This is a great loss," said journalist Yanina Sokolova.

Sister-in-arms Tatiana Romaniuk wrote that Iryna was an example, inspiration and motivation: "A person with a capital P, devoted to Ukraine and service with all her heart."

Brother-in-arms Orest Karakevych called Tsybukh the personification of Ukraine's future.

"One of those who moved it forward. It's not just the loss of another Hero, it's a terrible blow to the whole country... The enemy took you away from us. And we will do everything to make him drown in his own blood," he added.

Illia Udovychenko, a friend of Iryna's, said that before the full-scale invasion, they were making a film about the stories of teenagers in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, their lives, plans and desires.

"I really want more people to see Iryna's beautiful documentary, which we never screened at "Zhovten" Cinema in Kyiv. It's a beautiful film imbued with love for those children," he said.

Yulia Kochetova, a photographer and World Press Photo laureate, says about Iryna: "You were the best of all - holistic in your service, in your words and principles. even in fear, though you looked at death with great confidence, even laughed in its face. Ira, you saved so many, we did not save you."

Dmytro Krapyvenko, the former editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian Week magazine, who is currently defending Ukraine, said that he had known Iryna since the ATO, when they were volunteering:

"Ira had what is called 'full of life': she had kilo tonnes of energy that would be enough for 5 or 10 ordinary people. Whether in her volunteer work, in her peaceful work at Suspilne, or at the front, where she was a combat medic, Ira worked hard, passionately, persistently. She managed so much in her short life that after the victory she could have afforded to retire with an honorary pension and no one would have had the right to say a word that she did not deserve it. But Ira would never sit idly by, what am I talking about? Ira will be asking us sternly from heaven what we have done today to win. And we will have something to answer, won't we?"