"For you, I will always remain young, because I will live in the short word "memory".
The war will pass, this black smoke will dissipate, but I will no longer be physically with you.
I'll be where the blue sky begins.
I will be where the sun is during the day, where the star is at night.
Everything, everything in the world is quickly forgotten, but I live as long as someone remembers me..."

With these words of Stalina Chubenko, the evening in memory of her son Stepan began. She dedicated the presentation of the collection, the works of which were written by the boy during his short life, to the shot future - to those who died for the independence of Ukraine during many years of struggle.

From photos, memories of acquaintances and friends, stories from the young man's school life and the difficult time of the occupation of Kramatorsk in 2014, everyone learned about Stepan Chubenk as a kind, a little cheeky and caring young man with a wonderful sense of humor. He was a leader among his peers, an activist at school, together with his friends took care of the "Antoshka" orphanage. At the age of sixteen, he had firm convictions and an active civic position.

"Stepan said that there are three shrines in life - God, parents and the Motherland. And none of them can be betrayed. That these are not just words, he proved in 2014, showing that it is possible to defend the Motherland even without a weapon in hand," recalls the words of Stalina Chubenko.

The warmth and love that this young man gave during his life filled the museum space that evening. Stepan's active struggle for Ukraine began ten years ago. Stalina Chubenko read lines from the story "Euromaidan with my eyes". After the brutal dispersal of protesters on the night of November 30, the boy wrote down his thoughts about the struggle for freedom and the crimes of the Yanukovych regime:

"These guys were at a peaceful rally, because, let's face it, Ukraine is a democratic country, and everyone can have their say here. And they said, after which we saw the true face of our government. But the guys were not afraid to go out again for a better future. Of course, this concept is different for everyone, they saw themselves in Europe. And so the authorities decided to silence Ukrainian youth for the second time, and they did it very cruelly. "Berkut", like an animal that broke free from its chain, tore and threw everyone and everything. None of these ferocious dogs could tell whether a grandmother or a child was standing there."

"Then, having gathered with the guys near the monument to Shevchenko in my city, we decided to go to Kyiv - not for Europe, not for the opposition. For the Ukrainian people against the bandit government."

Stepan Chubenko came to Maidan twice. For the first time - with friends after the brutal beating of peaceful protesters by the Berkut militia. The second time - already in the hot days of February 2014. Then he stood on the barricades together with his comrades from the Hundred Lions. Here is what he wrote:

"The boys and I were on duty near the stage when a black spot began to surround us. They shouted from the stage: "Stop, we are all Ukrainians!", but it was already too late. In fact, we didn't have any uniforms - hard hats and construction helmets. The blacks chased us under the bridge, and we left because we were thinking of crossing over to the other side. But there they blocked us and just threw bricks and cobblestones at us, and shot from above. That's how the whole night passed"

"I will remember February 19 for the rest of my life - mountains of corpses, tears of volunteer girls, tears of fathers and mothers. This day will forever remain in the memory of the Ukrainian people as a bloody day."

A collection of works by his son "Stepan Chubenko. I understood the meaning of life" Stalina Chubenko presented to the Library of the Maidan Museum. Together with the book, she handed over the painting to the museum.

"Stepan's story testifies to the greatness of the spirit. Sixteen years is a very young age, but people sometimes manage to do a lot in their ninety or hundred years. Therefore, what is important here is what lives after a person, how long they are remembered, the concentration of everything created by life potential is important. And Stepan was able to reveal this as much as possible. Today, such personalities help us to form a national identity and show the connection of generations. We want to emulate our pantheon of heroes, and let them be authorities for future generations," said Olga Salo, deputy general director of the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity.

Stepan Chubenko was fascinated by the history of Ukraine, and Ukrainian rebel songs were always heard at home, which the boy liked to sing.

"This is the case when a child brings up his parents and patriotic upbringing comes from the child. We grew up on a different story, and the child tells you that it is not our story, and begins to tell and teach you," says Stalina Chubenko.

In his native Kramatorsk, Stepan secretly helped the Ukrainian military at the beginning of the Russian invasion. In the summer of 2014, he went to Kyiv and tried to join Ukrainian volunteer formations, but due to his young age, he was forced to return to Donetsk region. Later, he was detained and killed by pro-Russian militants in Donetsk.

In 2016, Stepan Chubenko was posthumously awarded the "National Hero of Ukraine" order. In 2017, the state awarded the young patriot with the Order "For Courage" III degree. Journalist Yelyzaveta Goncharova, who covered the case of Stepan Chubenko, and her like-minded colleagues founded the "Young Eyewitness" art report contest for schoolchildren in memory of the patriot.

"When we told the story of Stepan to his peers through the contest, it was very important to convey the information in such a way that every child felt his value as a person who is Ukrainian," said Yelyzaveta Goncharova, journalist, co-organizer and curator of the contest for children's artistic reportage "Young Samovidets" ” in memory of Stepan Chubenk;

There were many friends of the Chubenko family at the meeting. Volodymyr Zhemchugov, Hero of Ukraine, Luhansk partisan and participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war, thanked Stepan's mother and said that he wants films and books to be made about Stepan in order to preserve his memory:

"Such meetings are precisely about the memory that we should leave in Ukraine. And the figure of Stepan is an example for many children. What Stepan valued in his young age was patriotism, respect for the country. I often talk to young people and see how much it takes to make them realize this. I am amazed how you managed to raise such a son!”

The memory of the young man continues to live on in his family's affairs, at meetings, in a collection of works, in football matches, in particular the "Avangard" team, for which Stepan played. His struggle continues - after Stepan Chubenko, the fighters of the "Sarmat" battalion named the infantry fighting vehicle that took part in hostilities at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia in 2022. Today, the family supports the soldiers of the 1st company by collecting donations through the sale of a book. According to his mother, in this way, Stepan Chubenko continues to help the military as best he can.

Glory to the hero!
Watch the recording of the meeting on YouTube. All photos from the event are available at the link.
Photos: National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity