Rita Zatsepilina - participant of the regional contest "Woman of Donetsk Region" in 2025, nomination "Heart in Armor"
This is the story of a woman who, in the most difficult times, chose the path of struggle and did not retreat but stood up to defend her country at crucial moments. Rita Zatsepilina was born and raised in the Donetsk region in an urban village 40 kilometers from Mariupol. Her childhood and adolescence were similar to the lives of thousands of other girls, with studies, dreams, and plans. But the events of the Revolution of Dignity changed her path.
In 2015, she joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine because she considered it her duty. Her five years of service taught her endurance and fortitude and tempered her character.
In 2020, Rita decided to return to civilian life. Work, daily routine, hopes for the future, everything seemed to be going on as usual. But a feeling of anxiety grew inside her, as if something terrible and inevitable was coming. This premonition came true in February 2022.
On the first day of the full-scale invasion, Rita found herself back in uniform. The explosions caught her on her way to the military unit, but an order is an order, it must be obeyed, so she went ahead. Her new war had begun, and she was on her way through the chaos of explosions, confused people, and the first battles for Mariupol.
Later, she and her comrades got to the Azovstal plant, a place that has become a symbol of resilience. Without water, food and medicine, under constant shelling, among the wounded and dead, she found the strength to hold on.
To be a patriot of your country means to live by moral values, to protect them and not to betray them under any circumstances. It means being unbreakable and resilient, despite all the trials and tribulations that come your way.
Read the detailed story of the contestant here: https://surl.li/vpniia