Through War and Sacrifice: The Story of Sophia and Bogdan

While making clothes and accessories for regular people, we remain inspired by Ukrainian soldiers, volunteers, and everyday heroes who have stepped up in unimaginable ways to defend their country. With each creation, we strive to meet the high standards demanded by those facing the toughest conditions. Moreover, instead of hiring conventional models, we are committed to featuring these remarkable individuals in our campaigns and promotional materials. Our recent release—a special slingpack developed in collaboration with the Donetsk-born, Kyiv-based brand keep®—features Sophia, 19, a volunteer medic, and Bogdan “Eho”, 22, a former infantryman and military instructor with the 3rd Assault Brigade.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Sophia was just 16, a high school senior preparing for university. Instead of planning for graduation, she joined a volunteer medical battalion in February 2022. Too young to serve on the front, she spent the next two years training as a medic, coordinating journalists, and documenting the war through photography — all while studying for her exams.

“Preparing for my university exams alongside my fellow medics was an experience I never expected — some helped me with math, others with Ukrainian literature,” she recalls. “I was surprised by how many incredibly smart people surrounded me in our unit. I was anxious about the exams, but I did well and got into the Law program at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.”

When she finally turned 18, Sophia wasted no time. She gathered a team of volunteers and began working as a casevac and medevac medic — evacuating wounded soldiers from the battlefield and keeping them alive on the way to safety. “That’s what I continue to do now,” she says. 

Bogdan, call sign “Eho,” had a very different plan for his life before the war. He dreamed of opening his own restaurant in Rivne. He even secured a grant and was making real progress toward launching his business. But when the full-scale invasion began, everything changed for a then 19-year-old.

“Suddenly, all of that felt irrelevant,” he says. “There was no choice to make—I knew where I had to be.”

Bogdan joined a volunteer unit that later became the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. He fought in some of the most intense battles of the war, including the brutal Bakhmut campaign, before sustaining a serious injury. After a long recovery, he transitioned into training new recruits. Now, he plays a crucial role in the brigade’s training assault company, developing programs, matching soldiers to roles based on their strengths, and passing on critical combat skills.

Their lives became intertwined nearly two years ago – Sophia and Bogdan first connected through mutual friends:

"My friend's husband turned out to be Echo’s brother in arms. One day, he shared one of Echo’s posts on Instagram — I saw it, followed him, and he followed me back. That’s how we started talking. A month later, Echo got wounded, and we didn’t get to meet in person until a month and a half later when he was transferred to Kyiv for further treatment. As soon as he arrived, he messaged me, we met, and that very same day, we started dating. A year later, Echo proposed."

When asked what made them fall in love so quickly, Bogdan doesn’t hesitate: shared values.

“For both of us, courage, integrity, and the relentless pursuit of dignity aren’t just ideals—they’re the foundation of who we are,” he says. “The greatest value is having strong principles, tested by fire, that define not just a person, but a people and a nation. And there’s no better way to discover those principles than in times of war. You either prove yourself, or you remain a slave under foreign rule. I deeply believe that a conscious, active minority will always triumph over a passive, uninspired majority.”

Like most Ukrainians, Sophia and Bogdan follow international news closely, but they refuse to get lost in endless political debates or doomscrolling. Instead, they focus on what they can control.

“We need to focus on what we can truly influence,” Bogdan says. “Support the military more, donate more, join the armed forces. That’s how you make a real impact right now. The success of the front depends on how well our military is equipped — and everything else depends on the front line. Every resource should go to the military. Our own army is the only guarantee of our country’s security. And that’s something we all need to understand: A strong army means a strong state.”

As the war drags on, Sophia and Bogdan have no illusions about the road ahead. They know that resilience is not just about physical endurance but about mental fortitude.

“We have to prepare for the worst — for even greater fatigue, disillusionment, and weariness,” Sophia says. “This isn’t a sprint; it’s just the beginning of a marathon.”

When asked about what motivates her to keep going, Sophia says it’s the simple fact that there is no alternative. “Surrender would mean death or torture in Russia,” she states. “Right now, there is literally no choice but to fight for our country.” But beyond survival, there is a deeper drive — a determination to ensure that the sacrifices already made are not in vain. “We cannot let this war become our children’s war, or our grandchildren’s. It has to end with us. Every loss, every sacrifice — it has to mean something. That’s what keeps me going.”

For Sophia and Bogdan, dreams are something that must wait but not forever. When the war ends, they dream of having a quiet life in the Carpathians, raising children among the mountains and rivers. They dream of finally opening their own restaurant in Kyiv, of traveling across Ukraine and the world, of simply having the time to live without stress and danger. “Most of all,” Sophia says, “we just want to stop rushing through life and know that we still have time.” Until that day comes, they will keep fighting — not just for themselves, but for a future where such dreams are possible.