She was killed to be silenced. On July 19, in Lviv, Ukrainians marked the first anniversary of the death of Iryna Farion. She was a prominent linguist, scholar, politician, and symbol of the fight for Ukrainian identity, UkrInform reports.
Farion served as a Member of Parliament from 2012 to 2014, lectured at the university, and spent decades leading the movement to revive the Ukrainian language after centuries of Russification. Her political stance was openly anti-Russian, making her a frequent target of Kremlin propaganda and hate.
Her murder in Lviv in 2023 at the age of 60 is seen not merely as a criminal act but as part of Russia’s hybrid war.
“The enemy is trying to use every tool to divide our nation,” said Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, following her death.
The attack on Farion is also regarded as a psychological attempt to intimidate its most courageous Ukrainian voices.
A year after the assassination, her family, colleagues, students, and community members gathered for a memorial service at the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church. Later, a procession made its way to Lychakiv Cemetery, where Farion is buried.
People will also assemble in silence in the courtyard on Masaryk Street, where she was killed, at 7:22 PM, the exact moment the fatal shot was fired one year ago.
Farion’s daughter, Sofiia Osoba, left a powerful message on Instagram.
“A year. What is it like to live without Mom?.. I am an orphan. Ukraine is orphaned... I don’t want 19 July… This is the end of everything. 23:20. The end of your life. Now, it will be years,” she wrote.
Six days after the murder, Ukrainian law enforcement detained the suspect, 19-year-old Dnipro resident Vyacheslav Zinchenko. The court trial is currently ongoing.
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