"We are not heroes of the past": how veterans return to life after the front

War does not end with demobilization. After returning from the front, veterans face new challenges – adaptation, finding themselves, restoring internal resistance. But despite the pain and loss, many find the strength to build a new life. Through sports, volunteering, art, and working with people.

LIGA.net asked three veterans how they manage to rebuild themselves through their favorite cause.

"The war may have broken us physically, but it cannot break us morally": the story of veteran Oleksiy Golovin

In September 2023, on the left bank of the Kherson region, near the settlement of Kozachi Laheri, a soldier of the 126th Territorial Defense Brigade of Ukraine, Oleksiy Golovin, call sign Chuka, was seriously wounded during direct contact with the enemy. He served as a volunteer, so, he says, he was morally ready for anything.

"When you volunteer for war, you understand that anything can happen. I was ready. But being wounded is always a test," the veteran recalls.

After the amputation, a long rehabilitation process began. Doctors helped him cope with the physical pain, and the emotional pain was helped by the support of his closest loved one.

My wife supports me. Both physically and mentally. Thanks to her, I keep going.

Before the war, the man was engaged in creative work. In 2015, while searching for a wallet on the Internet, he came across one that he really liked – but decided to make it himself. That's how the LeatherArt project was born.

"I just thought: I can make such a wallet myself. That was the first thing. That same evening, I was offered to buy it. That's how the idea of getting into leather goods came about," admits Oleksiy.

So the hobby turned into a business that combined aesthetics, manual labor, and pleasure from the process. However, after the injury, LeatherArt had to be put on hold. Now the priority is sports and recovery.

"Unfortunately, this project has now been put on hold indefinitely. My goal right now is to show that life after amputation does not end. I am trying to demonstrate this by my own example – through sports," he says.

One of his new areas is archery. He did not come to this by chance: in his youth he was engaged in historical reconstruction, where shooting was part of the training.

"Now this is one of the ways to strive for more, to learn something new. We practice every Friday together with students. The IOM Ukraine organization provided us with the tools," said Oleksiy.

Another important vector of a veteran's life is participation in veteran initiatives. He actively participates in events within the "Veterans Alliance", helps with educational events for schoolchildren, and takes part in projects dedicated to the memory of his fallen comrades.

"It is extremely important to honor those who did not return. On May 26, we climbed Hoverla with the care department of the 39th brigade. It was an unforgettable experience."

He admits that he feels most "at home" among his fellow artists. It is with them that conversations are deeper, more honest, and understandable without unnecessary words.

"Only among the veteran or military community do I feel at home. I learned to speak with civilians over time. But what we experienced together with our brothers and sisters is forever."

The war changed his outlook on life. Becoming more determined, reconsidering priorities – all this became part of the new "me". Now the family is in the center.

"The war forced me to rethink my values, and led to more radical decisions. Now my family is the most important thing to me. Everything else is secondary."

For those just beginning their journey of recovery from the front, he has a short but crucial message:

"You saved lives in this war. Don't let it end in vain. The war may have broken us physically, but it cannot break us morally."

"War in Me Forever": The Story of Marine Denis Zharkov, Who Doesn't Let Us Forget the Names of the Fallen

He went to war before he had time to grow up. In 2011, when he was only 18, Denis Zharkov became a soldier – long before the full-scale war. He first went to the front in 2015, when he was 22. First in the 10th separate motorized infantry battalion, then the Aidar battalion, and later the marines. He returned to the front as a company sergeant major with the rank of senior sergeant.

Denys went through the hottest spots in Donbas, knew what life under fire was like, the loss of comrades, and attempts to return to a peaceful life after everything he had experienced.

"The most difficult thing, of course, was the first combat experience. You don't know what to expect, where it will come from, how to act. But the hardest thing is losing your comrades. Yesterday you talked, ate together at the position, and today he is gone. This is the most painful. And if we talk about physical exertion, the most difficult period was the battles of the summer of 2018 as part of "Aidar", – he says.

Eight and a half years at the front – and in 2020, Denis returns to civilian life. But peace did not last long. When Russia went on a broad front in March 2022, he made the decision to mobilize – without hesitation, in three seconds.

"Honestly, it wasn't difficult. When you have experience, everything becomes easier. War is in me forever. I understand perfectly well that at any moment I can rejoin the defense forces. And not because I want to – but because I have to.

I never wanted to fight. But when the situation in the country became critical, I personally had no choice.

"It was an extremely quick decision – to leave the civilian job I was working at at the time and go to a military unit, to mobilize," he explains.

But despite the fact that the fighting days were left behind, Denis did not stop. He took up a cause that, perhaps, requires no less endurance than the trenches. In 2019, he began organizing tournaments in memory of his fallen comrades. At first – for one. Then – for two. Later – for dozens. Thus was born the project "This is important."

"It all started in 2019, when I served in the 137th Marine Battalion in Novotroitsky, Donetsk region. I was a staff officer. While performing a task, our scouts came across an enemy observation post. Two comrades were killed – Denis Kozma and Ivan Sakal.

Later, a tournament in memory of Ivan Sakal was held in Odessa. I asked the commander: why only Ivan? I was explained that the initiative came from his friends. Then I suggested holding a tournament in memory of Denis Kozma.

And so it began. In October 2019, we held our first mini-football tournament. Then, the second one, in 2020. After that, I heard an important phrase from the common-law wife of another deceased brother, an Estonian citizen of Belarusian origin, Mikola Ilyin: "What you do is important," says Denis.

Today, "This Matters" is more than just sports tournaments. It's a space of support and emotional connection, where small matches become hubs of community.

The platform unites not only veterans, but also families, patrons, businesses, coaches – and even those government officials who really do not stay on the sidelines. It is about unity and trust. About the connection between those who returned and those who remember.

Denis himself plays football and does kickboxing. Not just for fitness – for him, sport is about developing personal skills, keeping the body in good shape, and hardening yourself – both morally and physically.

"In my case, sports are also a kind of rehabilitation, especially during the recovery period. It gave me at least three things. The first is the opportunity to transfer emotions to the sports field, and not to society. The second is to let out aggression and negativity, which, for obvious reasons, sometimes accumulate. And the third is to just relax. It really works: sports help calm the body, clear the mind, refresh thoughts, and reboot.

Now I am an active veteran, organizer, public figure. And this is absolutely natural for me. I feel that I am in my place. In the army, I was also an organizer, a commander, a person who took responsibility, showed initiative, worked for results.

"I do the same now – I support initiatives, implement my own, unite people around me. This is not just a new "me" – it is a logical continuation of my path. And if my example becomes a guideline for someone – I am only glad. Because I believe that I can unite the right people around me," says Denis.

In the peaceful rear, he proclaims: "If you want peace, prepare for war." Not to scare. But to awaken responsibility.

"If you have an inadequate neighbor, you cannot afford to live in a calm rhythm without thinking about defense. The war has been going on for 12 years, and even if a conditional peace comes, we must be ready to fight back at any moment."

We have no right to raise our children as pacifists in the conditions we live in. As long as there is an evil empire like Russia, there will be no peace. Only relative peace is possible – if the military and political situation allows.

"Yes, memory and unity are important. But true peace will come only when we completely destroy the enemy or when this empire collapses. Then, perhaps, memory and unity will truly become the foundation for true peace — both in the country and in hearts," says Denis Zharkov.

For Denis, being a veteran and fully realizing himself in a peaceful life is absolutely natural.

"This is not something amazing or impossible. Like any person, a veteran may find it difficult or, conversely, easier – everything is very individual.

The main thing is to remain yourself: to be a sincere person of honor, hardened, purposeful, ready to work for results. It is easier for such veterans to realize themselves.

Those who are having a hard time should not be shy about asking for help from fellow believers, caring people, and volunteers. There is no weakness in this. On the contrary, it is another path to full realization.

I am convinced that a veteran not only can, but must realize himself. Otherwise, what was all this struggle for?

"A veteran should be an example – in the family, at work, in relationships. This is not a one-sided game. And only in joint action – in the awareness of both sides of their responsibility – do we have a chance," Denys admits.

His personal goal is to live life to the fullest: for himself, for his family, for his country. And to do everything possible every day to ensure that the names of the fallen do not fade into oblivion.

"I gave a lot of time to the army. The hardest part was the first 3-4 months. I had to get used to the fact that the world lives a different life. For many, war is somewhere out there. And for me, it is a reality that shaped my adult life from 19 to 27 years old.

So now I want to live for myself and my family. Not forgetting about volunteering, not forgetting about charity.

Now my life is closely connected with honoring the memory of my fallen comrades. And I will always say: as long as I am alive, I will do everything to ensure that their names, faces, and stories remain visible. Even 5 or 10 years after the war.

"As for the vision of veterans, I want society not to perceive us only as heroes of the past. We are part of the future. We are the ones who will change the country, who are capable of actions, not just memories. And I will do the most where I am, with what I have," says Denys.

"Coffee with Brothers" – as a place of strength. The story of veteran Vyacheslav Sopilnyak

Vyacheslav Sopilnyak's story began long before the Great War. Back in 1991, he served in the National Guard of Ukraine, guarding the country's borders during the Transnistrian conflict. Then, still very young, he first saw real war – and families fleeing it with children in their arms.

"That was the first time I understood what war was. How it breaks lives. And, probably, it was then that something was formed in me forever," recalls Vyacheslav.

In 2014, when Russia invaded Donbas, he rejoined the ranks. He served in the 18th separate battalion "Odesa", which later became part of the Marine Corps. They held positions near the village of Pavlopil in the Mariupol direction.

"In the winter of 2014–2015, there were severe frosts, we lived in dugouts in forest belts, there was no heating. I suffered severe hypothermia, but was not hospitalized – there were not enough people. I treated myself as best I could. Only in July was I evacuated due to health complications," he says.

After treatment in a Kyiv hospital, Vyacheslav was released on health grounds. He received the status of a war invalid of the second group.

However, in February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion, Vyacheslav did not stay away. Together with his brothers, they created a volunteer formation in Chornomorsk. Armed with hunting rifles, they guarded the military registration and enlistment office, set up checkpoints, and defended the city.

"At that time, there were no weapons in the military registration and enlistment office. We took him under guard because there was a threat of capture," Sopilniak explains.

In less than a week, the volunteer unit had 150 members. Their unit became part of the 126th Odessa Brigade as the 246th Battalion, where Vyacheslav became a master sergeant.

Their task was to defend the southern coast, from Zatoka to Odessa. Then – the Kherson direction, where the battalion held positions along the Dnieper. In 2023, Vyacheslav underwent an operation and was finally discharged from the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"When you're at war, you just do your job. The fear, the pain, the exhaustion – all of that comes later, when you get home," he says.

After demobilization, Vyacheslav went through a difficult period. For six months, he hardly left his house, was undergoing treatment, and did not want to communicate with anyone. But meetings with his comrades, who were also returning, became for him the first step towards a new life.

"I saw that everyone had the same problems. The guys and I decided: we need to create a place where veterans can just talk and get help," he says.

Thus, the Veterans Support Center appeared in Chornomorsk. Vyacheslav provided the premises and advertising space free of charge. The first initiative is "Coffee with Fellow Veterans." Over a cup of coffee, veterans communicate, share experiences, and receive consultations from psychologists and lawyers.

"Now we have support from the city, and we can really see that it works. People are not left alone with their pain."

In addition to volunteering, Vyacheslav continues to develop his own business – outdoor advertising. He has been involved in this business since 2000. But with the outbreak of the war, he gave all the free advertising space to social, patriotic and volunteer ads.

"This is my way of influencing society. Previously, to counteract pro-Russian propaganda, now, to maintain fighting spirit, help the families of the dead, promote recruitment, sports competitions, and volunteer initiatives," the veteran explains.

Another of his hobbies, which has become therapy for him, is dogs. Together with his wife, he participates in international exhibitions and competitions. Their pets are European and world champions, and his wife is an international athlete in rally obedience.

"For us, this is not just a hobby. It's structure, planning, discipline, emotions. Everything is like a military operation. And every trip to the competition is like another raid. My wife is currently competing in the international rally obedience class. I help her with everything: I prepare logistics, routes, and supplies. My military experience came in very handy here – everything has to be precise and disciplined," he says.

Currently, Vyacheslav is the deputy head of the organization "Alliance of Veterans". His areas of expertise include adapting fellow veterans to civilian life, assistance in collecting documents, psychological support, and employment.

"If you don't take care of yourself, no one will remember. You shouldn't be afraid to ask for help, go to people, play sports, talk to your peers. And bring yourself back to life step by step. But first of all, don't rush. Rest, but don't isolate yourself," says Vyacheslav Sopilnyak.