Natalie Keyssar
Reportage by Getty Images
“Andri” (name changed per his request), 42, presses his face to a photo of his boyfriend, who was killed in combat, at the site of his grave. He mostly visits the grave in secret, because his beloved was in the closet before he died, and Andrii doesn’t want to reveal his secret against his will posthumously.
He said they met on a dating app and it was love at first sight. His boyfriend told Andrii on his first date, “Finally I’ve found you,” and he felt the same way. “When I met him I felt I had wings,” Andrii said.
Since his partner’s death, he sometimes sleeps by his grave to be near him. He’s been isolated by his grief because he cannot disclose the full nature of their relationship, and is haunted by wondering if he could have saved him if he had joined his unit.
The Washington Post
