Ukrainian Bride Is Busy with Wedding Preparations When Rocket Destroys Her Childhood Home

In an unfortunate turn of events, a Ukrainian bride discovered something shocking before starting a new chapter of her life. While preparing for her wedding, a Russian rocket destroyed her childhood home.

Most girls dream of wearing a beautiful white dress on their big day. They picture themselves walking down the aisle and standing next to the love of their lives. While thinking about their big day, they never consider something unfortunate might happen to them on that day.

The girl in today’s story also wanted to celebrate the new chapter of her life, but fate surprised her with something else. While preparing to embark on the new journey with her beloved partner, she discovered something unexpected that changed her perspective forever.

A SURPRISE FOR THE BRIDE

Like every other girl, Daria Steniukova was excited to start a new life with Vitaly Zavalniuk. The 31-year-old bride-to-be worked as a yoga teacher and was looking forward to tying the knot with a 30-year-old salesman.

The Ukrainian couple was from Vinnytsia, the city where a Russian missile wreaked havoc on July 14, 2022. The rocket landed 100 meters away from Steniukova’s house, but that didn’t mean she was marked safe from the damage caused by the airstrike.

While Steniukova was preparing for her big day, she discovered her childhood home had been significantly damaged. When she opened the main door, she stepped on rubble instead of the leveled floor that always welcomed her.

HANDLING THE SITUATION

Instead of canceling their wedding, Steniukova and Zavalniuk decided to postpone their celebration for a day because “there was mourning in our city,” Steniukova said.

To show the world what was going on in her country, Steniukova decided to get her wedding photoshoot done in her damaged childhood house. Not only did the Russian missile destroy her home, but it also ruined the childhood memories that she had always cherished. She said:

“The whole world should know what Russia is doing.”

THE STRIKING PHOTOSHOOT

Two days after the airstrike took the lives of 24 people, Steniukova and Zavalniuk returned to the bride’s childhood house with their photographer Oleksandr Demianiv for their wedding photoshoot.

Donning a stunning white dress, Steniukova held flowers in her hands but didn’t smile for the camera. Standing on the rubble in her childhood home with crooked frames hanging on cracked walls behind her, the bride stared into the camera lens, showing how broken she felt on her big day.

However, posting the photos on her Instagram account wasn’t a way of gaining sympathy. Instead, the brave bride had a moving message for the world. She said:

“We wanted to show that you can live during the war.”

THE COMMENTS

After Steniukova’s photos circulated on the internet, netizens were stunned at her bravery. They shared their thoughts and opinions in the comments section under the bride’s photos. One Facebook user said:

“The bravery and brilliance of the Ukrainian people knocks me out every day.”

“This is a perfect example of triumph over tragedy. Very inspiring. God Bless the Ukrainian,” another netizen said. Meanwhile, a woman wrote, “Daria, you are a beautiful bride & I’m so sorry that you & your husband had to go through all of this. Wishing you lots of love.”

THE BRIDE’S MESSAGE

Many people praised Steniukova for posing for the camera in her ruined house and letting the world know that Ukrainians won’t give up. A Facebook user said:

“I don’t see this as a sad photo. I see it as a bride saying that no terroristic bombing is going to stop her from picking up the pieces and rebuilding her life.”

Do you think Steniukova did the right thing by having her bridal photoshoot in her damaged childhood home? What would you do if you were in her place?

Share this story with your friends and family to show your support for Steniukova. Let your loved ones know what is happening in Ukraine.

Click here to read another story about a US couple awaiting twins via a surrogate who discovered their babies were born preterm.

The parents felt helpless, knowing their newborn babies couldn’t do anything to defend themselves while sleeping amid war sounds in Ukraine.

Anomama