"A monument is just a lump of stone. I wanted something that feeds the soul." A mother builds a church in honour of her son who died a hero's death
Iryna Tezyk did not want her son’s memory to fade. To honour him, she built a church where fallen soldiers can be remembered.
Iryna constructed the first Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) place of worship in her village – Petrykivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast – at her own expense.
Her son Kostiantyn volunteered at the military enlistment office on the second day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. He served in Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts as a drone operator. On 31 October 2023, he was killed in action near Bakhmut, aged 35.
Iryna had always lived for her son, and she wanted to make a final gift for his soul. That is how the church came to be built.
"Ma, I want to sign up at the enlistment office tomorrow"
Kostiantyn was Iryna’s only son. She also had a younger daughter, who tragically died aged three in a fire caused by a short circuit.
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Iryna worked three jobs to give her son – whom she affectionately called Kostia – everything that he needed growing up: music teacher at a school, music director at a kindergarten, and leader of a musical ensemble at a local community arts centre. Later on, she would periodically travel to Israel for work to earn extra income.
Iryna and Kostiantyn shared a trusting, warm relationship. "Kostia was a cheerful person, he chose his friends carefully, and he really loved animals. If a mouse appeared, he wouldn’t set mousetraps – he used to catch them and let them go," Iryna shares. "He was drawn to computers from an early age and mastered the basics as soon as we got one."
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Kostiantyn graduated from university and found fulfilling work in IT.
As a vegan, he gave up eating meat, eggs and dairy after watching Earthlings, a documentary about animal exploitation. "I couldn’t watch it all – my nerves gave out – but Kostia watched to the end. From that day on, he stopped eating animal-based products. He tried to convince me too, but I haven’t mustered up the courage yet, though I’m considering it," Iryna says.
Iryna was in Israel when Russia’s full-scale invasion began. On the first day, Kostiantyn called her, determined to defend Ukraine despite his lack of military experience.
"I was on a bus to work when I saw the news about the war," Iryna recalls. "I broke down in tears, and people didn’t understand why. Kostia called and said: ‘Ma, I want to sign up at the enlistment office tomorrow.’ I told him I’d support whatever decision he made."
Kostiantyn and his uncle Anatolii initially joined the Petrykivka Territorial Defence Forces, patrolling the local area. By May 2022, Kostiantyn had been deployed to the Kharkiv front.
"My brother called me and said: ‘The girls are cleaning your yard’ – I understood what he meant right away"
Kostiantyn initially served as a grenadier in the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Ivan Sirko. In autumn 2022, he took part in the liberation of Kharkiv Oblast. Iryna and Anatolii, who was too old to fight, visited him several times.
"In June 2022 I flew back from Israel and we went to Kharkiv Oblast. Kostia asked me not to come – the fighting was intense, with heavy bombing. He said: ‘Don’t come, don’t risk it.’ I told him: ‘Okay, it’s up to you.’ But I said to Tolia [Anatolii] – we’re going, no question. It was a surprise for Kostia. We brought humanitarian aid and parcels from soldiers’ families. We visited again in autumn, but had to hide in a basement from the strikes," Iryna says.
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Later, Kostiantyn trained as a drone operator with the Achilles unmanned systems regiment, successfully passing the exams. He was then transferred to Donetsk Oblast.
"On 9 September [2023], we’d expected Kostia home for his birthday. He’d served a year and eight months without leave. But he couldn’t get away, so we went to him – me, Tolia and Kostia’s godmother," Iryna recalls.
"He rented us an apartment for a day so we could talk and spend time together. There was one sofa and one bed. We wanted to squeeze onto the sofa so Kostia could sleep properly, but he said: ‘Ma, don’t you want to lie next to me?’ So I slept beside him. We barely slept – we were reminiscing about his childhood, laughing and crying. He left for duty the next morning, and we went home. It was his last birthday, the last time we saw him – like a farewell."
In the Achilles regiment, Kostiantyn befriended Vitalii Hnoiachenko from Kyiv Oblast. Both being IT specialists and vegans, they bonded quickly. As Kostiantyn gained drone expertise, he trained the new recruits.
"I always told Kostia to send me an emoji after a mission so I’d know he was safe," Iryna shares. "On the morning of 31 October [2023], I saw he wasn’t online. I could tell he’d gone on a mission. Usually he’d be online even if he didn’t message. Doubts started to creep in. Tolia promised to visit the enlistment office to check with his unit. I went to buy a ticket to Ukraine. When I got home, Tolia called and said: ‘The girls are cleaning your yard.’ I understood what he meant right away."
On 31 October 2023, Kostiantyn was killed in action near Bakhmut. He was 35. His friend Vitalii and two recruits out on their first combat mission also perished that day.
"A monument is just a lump of stone. I wanted something to feed the soul"
One of the reasons why Iryna decided to build a church in memory of her son was because of his funeral – and more specifically, because of the priest who conducted the service, who was from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. At that time, Petrykivka had no church run by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, so the family had no other choice.
"A friend of Kostia’s told me straight out that my son would never have wanted a priest from a Moscow-linked church at his funeral," Iryna says. "The priest didn't say a single word about how Kostia had died. It felt like we were burying an elderly man who had died of natural causes. No mention of the war, no mention of Russia as the aggressor. Absolutely nothing."
Later, a neighbour showed Iryna something she’d seen online: parents building small chapels in honour of their fallen sons. The idea resonated with her.
"After Kostyk died, I couldn't find peace. I had lived for him. I wanted to do something meaningful to preserve his memory. A monument is just a lump of stone. I wanted something to feed the soul. I really liked the idea of a chapel. My brother and I began searching online for options. Then we thought: why not build a small church instead?" Iryna says.
Initially she planned to construct the church on a separate plot of land, but the owners ran into legal issues with the documents, which prevented them from transferring ownership. So they decided to build it on her own vegetable plot, which had long stood unused.
At that time, Anatolii had a connection to a priest in Dnipro, Father Oleksandr, who came highly recommended by many parishioners. The decision was made quickly.
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For the church to be officially registered with the OCU’s Dnipro Eparchy, ten people were needed to form a parish community – something they managed without difficulty. Then the building process began in earnest.
Iryna and Anatolii found a design for a small wooden church that they liked in Zhytomyr Oblast. They only made a few changes, opting for arched windows and doors. First they laid the foundation, and soon after, construction of the church itself began.
Near the church, they chose to preserve a tree that Kostiantyn had once planted. While he was alive, he had planned to green up the area and create a peaceful space for rest and reflection.
The construction was funded by Iryna’s savings, Kostiantyn’s savings and part of the state compensation Iryna received after his death. Some of their neighbours contributed, though not on a large scale.
They worked quickly to finish the church before the anniversary of Kostiantyn's death. They succeeded. On 30 October 2024, the church was consecrated and officially opened to the community. The entire building process had taken around six months.
"In reality, the church had begun to function much earlier – even before it had walls," Iryna explains. "By Easter, we had already consecrated the land and registered with the Eparchy. Only the foundation was there, but we decided to put up a cross and put a table there. Around 25 to 30 people came to have their Easter baskets blessed" (a traditional Orthodox ritual).
"Someone has to pray for his soul, and for the souls of others like him, fallen soldiers"
The church was given a symbolic name, in honour of St Constantine Equal-to-the-Apostles, a fearless warrior. Iryna dedicated it not only to her son but to all Ukrainian defenders who have been killed in action.
Alongside the specially commissioned iconostasis, Iryna placed a family icon that had once belonged to her great-grandfather inside the church. It has been carefully restored and now hangs in a prominent spot.
Another unique icon now in the church came from Bakhmut.
"A couple decided to have their daughter baptised in our church. They gave us this icon as a token of their gratitude," Iryna says. "It's quite large, and what makes it special is that the saints’ garments aren't painted – they’re made out of fabric. And it's symbolic, really. Kostia was killed near Bakhmut, and now this icon has followed him here."
The church interior also includes touches of tradition. The altar is decorated with traditional Petrykivka painting, and local craftswomen embroidered the numerous rushnyks (ritual towels) – not one had to be bought.
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Everyone from relatives to former classmates helped to decorate the church.
"The support from our community has been incredible. Not many people came to the church at first. I was having doubts and even considered putting the project on hold and continuing after the war. But after that first Easter, I was sure we were doing the right thing. So many people came, and everyone was so thankful," Iryna says.
Her church is the first Orthodox Church of Ukraine parish in Petrykivka. Not all of the local residents are ready to change their habits yet, but Iryna believes they are heading in the right direction.
"People’s mindsets are slowly shifting. More and more people are starting to question whether they should still attend Moscow-linked churches. There are so many videos circulating online now that show Russian priests blessing weapons and tanks that are headed for Ukraine. I used to go to a Moscow-linked church too, simply because there was no alternative. But those days are over. We need to be conscious of our choices," Iryna emphasises.
But Iryna didn’t stop there. As soon as the church was completed, she decided to construct a church hall nearby.
"Having the church is great, but people also need a space to gather, during baptisms for example. So we decided to build a hall. It's nearly finished now – the walls are up, the plumbing’s been installed, there’s only the interior work to do now. We're also planning to install solar panels and plant greenery in the grounds," Iryna explains.
But even that is not the end. Iryna dreams of creating an Avenue of Glory in honour of fallen soldiers, and the planning is already underway.
"I know I'm doing all of this for my son, just like everything else in my life up to this point," Iryna says. "I always made sure Kostyk wanted for nothing. And I kept looking out for him even after he grew up. When he died, I realised that even the grandest monument – even if it was made of gold – would mean nothing for his soul.
I built a church, and now I know people will come, and they'll pray, they'll remember. Kostia didn't have children, so there won't really be anyone to keep his memory alive, maybe just some cousins. But someone has to pray for his soul, and for the souls of others like him, fallen soldiers. They gave the most precious thing they had – their lives."
Author : Alona Pavliuk for Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia
Translation : Theodore Holmes and Tetiana Buchkovska
Editing : Charlotte Guillou-Clerc, Teresa Pearce
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