St. Nicholas' present. Valerii Zaluzhnyi met a boy separated from his father by the war
The boy met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces thanks to the "Become Saint Nicholas" initiative.
ФОто: Олена Варфоломеєва / Facebook
ФОто: Олена Варфоломеєва / Facebook

19 December 2022, 14:55

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, fulfilled the dream of 12-year-old Ivan from Cherkasy, whose father is still in the war. The boy made a wish to meet the commander-in-chief, and Zaluzhnyi agreed, Department of Social Policy of Cherkasy City Council reports.


The boy met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces thanks to the "Become Saint Nicholas" campaign. Ivan's mother, Olena Varfolomeyeva, said that she received a call from the Department of Social Policy a few weeks ago. Then, she was invited to participate in a campaign for her child.


"I didn't count on anything in particular. They suggested that my son write a wishlist. My child didn't ask for anything, except for dad to be found... And he also wrote that he dreams of meeting Valerii Zaluzhnyi. I handed over that letter as it is... I didn't interrupt my son," - Olena said.


Read also: The pretext, causes, and purpose of the Russia-Ukraine war


Later, the woman received a call that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was inviting Ivan to a meeting and was waiting for him to deliver a gift from St. Nicholas.


"Valerii Zaluzhnyi hugged my son yesterday. He hugged him like a father would probably do. And one day, Ivan will definitely show this photo to his dad. Yes, his main dream is still ahead, but today happened what gave his son the most valuable thing - faith. The faith that everything is possible!" - the boy's mother wrote.


Antonina Kostyk, translated by Vitalii Holich


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