September 10th 2023.
Kateryna Diachenko was a talented young athlete with a promising future in rhythmic gymnastics. At just 10 years old, she had already earned numerous medals and trophies at competitions across Ukraine and was looking forward to competing at the Deriugina Cup in Kyiv.
Kateryna’s life was tragically cut short when Russian forces laid siege to her city of Mariupol. On March 12, 2022, a shell hit her home, and Kateryna and her father, Alexander, were lost beneath the rubble.
Kateryna’s mother, Marina, and older brother, Artem, survived the attack. Artem was evacuated and transported to a hospital in the Donetsk enclave, then to Moscow, where doctors fought to save his leg and treat multiple fractures. He is now receiving treatment and rehabilitation in the city.
Marina says that she still experiences the “excruciating pain and sorrow” of losing her daughter and husband. She wants the world to remember Kateryna as a “cheerful and kind girl” who “loved life” and was “very popular with everyone”.
Marina also believes that Kateryna’s memory should live on in people’s hearts and that children should be able to grow up carefree and be protected and supported.
Kateryna’s story is sadly not unique. Thousands of people have been killed or injured in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022, according to United Nations figures.
Marina is being supported by online portal Swiss Rhythmic Gymnastics and is intent on returning to her home city of Mariupol, now undergoing a process of Russification. She hopes to be near her beloved Kateryna and Alexander and wants to see her son Artem “always happy.”
Kateryna Diachenko will be remembered as a medal-winning athlete with a bright future cut short. Her mother, Marina, wants the world to know that “every child should be able to grow up carefree and deserves our protection and support.”
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