Heroes of Ukraine: Vitalii Bartosh. Having taken more than a hundred people out of encirclement, dies on the day of his first wedding anniversary

Espresso shares a story of a Ukrainian soldier who always remained humane and just and died on the day of his first wedding anniversary.

Vitalii Bartosh was born in the village of Rakhny, in Vinnytsia region. He was only 14 years old when he decided to become a soldier. He loved to protect others from an early age, and his keen sense of justice only further contributed to the choice of his future profession. He went to study at the Tulchyn secondary school with enhanced military and physical training. He soon entered the Lviv Academy, and after a while he was transferred to the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Transcarpathian Brigade to the position of a mountain assault platoon commander. 

"He didn't even turn 20, when he led 120 people out of the encirclement and soon received his first award for this"

Vitalii's mother, Mrs. Oksana, says that her son was used to bearing responsibility for his actions since childhood and could never give up on his colleagues.

"After graduating from the Lviv Academy, he immediately went to the ATO zone. He didn't even turn 20, when he led 120 people out of the encirclement and soon received his first award for this. He never told us about this, I began to uncover some parts later, when his guys visited us. The last time, on March 6, he and Andrii Litun were surrounded by the enemy. The boys died in a single second, having come under a hail of fire", the mother shares her memories.

She says in the morning everyone congratulated him on his wedding anniversary, but in the evening he was already gone. On March 6, 2021, Vitalii Bartosh got married. His young wife Anhelina is now left alone, only with the shared dreams of children. 

Vitalii Bartosh with his wife Anhelina

"And you remember the most important and most valuable things: the story of our love was supposed to run around our house. A daughter with your lips and nose (who I dreamed of) and a son with my eyes (who you dreamed of). But all of this is only in my memory. You taught me to be strong! And those were your last words when we said goodbye on February 20, when you left for that cursed war," wrote Anhelina, the widow of Vitalii.

On the day of his death, the soldier called his relatives several times and asked to say hello to everyone in their last conversation.

He laid out "I want a sister" with matches under the New Year's tree

Vitalii Bartosh has a 13-year-old sister Anastasia, who he begged from his parents when he was young.

"She is so proud of him and loves him so much. He was both a brother and a friend to her, and even replaced her father when he was away. At the age of 11, Vitalii was obsessed with the idea of a sister. He laid out "I want a sister" with matches under the New Year's tree. He called her Anastasiia. She grew up in his arms. She misses him so much and is proud at the same time."

Vitalii Bartosh with his sister Anastasiia

His mother remembers him pleasing her with surprises. "When he came from the ATO for the first time, he brought me a bouquet of roses. He comes up and asks which flower is the most beautiful for me among all of them? And I say, "But they are all beautiful - white, pink, and red." And he says, "Mom, you are the most beautiful among all of them". He was so romantic, especially when he proposed to his future wife."

"The most terrible thing is to see a portrait on your child's grave"

Vitalii Bartosh is buried in Vinnytsia region. Mrs. Oksana says it was difficult to take her son's body and deliver it for the funeral back then.

"I am so jealous of those who hear "your son is missing", because maybe they are somewhere in prisons, in captivity. How lucky they are! They still have a chance to see their children alive. I wish they were without arms, without legs, just alive. I saw my son's body. The body being warm, not cold – this is the greatest happiness for a mother. The most terrible thing is to see a portrait on the grave of your child. It is a terrible grief. I wish all mothers waiting for their children from the war, to always have hope for the best. Let them live with this hope, because I do not live – I get up early and die."

Espresso continues the series of stories about Heroes of Ukraine who defended and are defending our country from Russian invaders. Read more stories in our Heroes of Ukraine column.