In Dnipropetrovsk, a mother built a church to honor her fallen soldier son.

In the village of Petrykivka, Dnipropetrovsk region, the first church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has been opened in memory of fallen soldiers. The initiator and main sponsor of the project is Iryna Tezyk, the mother of the deceased defender of Ukraine, Konstantyn Tezyk, who lost his life near Bakhmut in 2023. This was reported by Radio Svoboda, as conveyed by "Vidomo".

Iryna Tezyk is a music teacher from Petrykivka. She currently lives abroad and works as a cleaner.

The church was dedicated by the woman to her only son, and she used her own savings and payments "for her son" to fund its construction, aiming to honor his memory and the memory of all fallen defenders.

The Combat Path of Konstantyn

Konstantyn Tezyk was the only son in his family, worked in the IT sector, practiced martial arts, and had an interest in cycling. With the onset of the full-scale invasion, he decided to volunteer, even though he could have remained in his job. His dedication to his homeland and unwillingness to "stay at home" led him to the territorial defense unit, and later to a combat brigade.

At the front, he was given the call sign "Kastet" and served as a grenade launcher in the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, participating in the liberation of Kharkiv region. Eventually, he was selected for the strike drone unit "Achilles," where he continued to carry out missions near Bakhmut. In November, Konstantyn was expecting a leave, but on October 31, he was killed during a nighttime shelling near Klishchiyivka.

The Idea of Creating the Church

Iryna Tezyk recalls that the idea of building a church in honor of her son came to her during his funeral. At that time, there was only a church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the village, and a priest was invited to conduct the service, but as Konstantyn's relatives later said, "he would not have been pleased with this." The idea of a chapel gradually transformed into a large-scale church project, which subsequently became an important part of the memory of all the warriors from Petrykivka who fell for Ukraine.

Supporting Iryna's dream were her family – her brother and friends, and the budget exceeded one and a half million hryvnias. The church plans to create a Glory Alley dedicated to local heroes who also perished in the war.

The wooden structure of the church is adorned inside with traditional Ukrainian colors, symbolizing life, hope, and memory. Iryna hopes that the church will become a place of honor for all warriors and provide moral support for families who have lost their loved ones.

"This church is what helps me live," she shares. Iryna plans to continue improving the church and the surrounding area.

Iryna bitterly recalls how she and her son dreamed of traveling after the war.

"Kostya wanted to cycle across Ukraine," she recounts.

Despite the fact that this dream never came true, the mother hopes that the memory of him and his heroism will always live in the hearts of loved ones and everyone who visits the new church.