Hi, I`m Rostyk. I`m 13. My family lived in Kyiv when the Russian army broke into Ukraine. My parents thought that our high-rise apartment block was now too dangerous to stay in so we moved into our house in the countryside. But we had to flee from there too. During an evacuation attempt our car was hit by a Russian tank. We managed to get out and hide in the forest. Soon there was another explosion that took my life. Aside from my parents, there were also my grandparents, my aunt, and my godfather. Luckily, they all survived. 

I attended the 7th grade of the school with an in-depth study of the German Language. Until the 5th grade, I had been a straight-A student. I was a good, polite, kind, and generous kid. A perfect son, as my mommy called me. One of my biggest hobbies was sports. A few months before my death I got a red belt in Taekwondo. I did swimming and liked to play football with my friends. 

With my dad, I played video games and went to karting. We went fishing and mushroom hunting with my family. After school, my Grandma often treated me to my favorite fast food and my Grandpa let me help him fix his car.

Cars were my passion. I dreamed about a BMW. Turns out, dad wanted to give it to me for my 18th birthday. I never knew that and I won`t ever learn it now. It would have been the best present! But since I didn`t have a real car yet I collected models. Sadly, they all burned out with our car that was shot down by the tank. 

My mom was 6 months pregnant when it happened. I was so happy when they told me I was going to have a brother! I came along to the ultrasound. I wanted to be the first to see how my baby brother was doing. I didn`t get to meet him. He was born 4 months after my death. They called him Yaroslav, I chose this name. 

My family misses me. Mom still remembers how she screamed when she saw my body. Now they are all devastated but they keep on living for my dear Yaryk.