“Forever in the Sun’s Rays”: A Book About the Hero of Ukraine Mykhailo Yavorskyi From Prykarpattia Presented in Chicago

On February 8, the book “Forever in the Sun’s Rays”, dedicated to the memory of Hero of Ukraine Mykhailo Yavorskyi from Ivano-Frankivsk region, was presented in Chicago, the United States.

The event took place at the St. Joseph the Betrothed Church.

The book is nearly 200 pages long and is the result of two years of work by Ukrainian journalist Ruslana Romaniuk, who lives in Chicago. The idea for the book came from the serviceman’s mother, Mariia Yavorska.

Yavorskyi’s mother and the journalist told Suspilne how the book about Hero of Ukraine Mykhailo Yavorskyi was created.

From a newspaper article to a book

The mother of the Hero of Ukraine, Mariia Yavorska, recalls that she first spoke with journalist Ruslana Romaniuk just a few days before her son’s funeral. The farewell ceremony took place in Chicago on June 15, 2023. That interview, originally published as a newspaper article in Surma, a Ukrainian-language newspaper published in the United States, was also included in the book as her personal recollection of her son.

“The first conversation with Ms. Ruslana lasted three hours, but during that extremely difficult period I didn’t even notice how the time passed — it was that heartfelt,” Mariia Yavorska shares.

Later, the woman recalls, she traveled to Ukraine to visit the graves of her son’s brothers-in-arms. It was there that she made the final decision that her memories of him should become a book.

“I understood that there was much to write about him, and I wanted to preserve this memory for his daughter, who was only five and a half years old at the time. So I called Ruslana and told her that I wanted her to do it,” Mariia Yavorska recalls.

“I probably know everything about him”

The book’s author, Ruslana Romaniuk, says the publication is a biographical account of Mykhailo, covering his life from his studies at the Kolomyia Gymnasium to his combat experience at the front. The volume contains approximately 40 articles and personal recollections.

While working on the book, Ruslana Romaniuk spoke with Mykhailo Yavorskyi’s relatives, mentors, friends, and fellow soldiers. She did not know the fallen serviceman personally.

“Perhaps it could have been done faster, but most of my interlocutors are people from Ukraine, so we were in different time zones. My main job, which is not related to journalism, also demanded much of my attention,” Ruslana Romaniuk says.

The author continues, noting that most of those she spoke with described Mykhailo Yavorskyi “as a person with a big heart.”

“I probably know everything about him. He carried so much love within him that he shared it both with Ukraine and with all the people closest to him. An extraordinary person — truly extraordinary. Friends from his youth remember him as the generator of all ideas in their circle,” Ruslana Romaniuk says.

Patriotism in Mykhailo Yavorskyi’s words never sounded pompous. He was a sincere Ukrainian, the author says.

“From a young age, Mykhailo was interested in history. He recorded Ukrainian insurgent songs from his grandfather because he said that you could also learn Ukraine’s history through them. Whatever happened in his life, Mykhailo always turned his attention to Ukraine. That’s why he secretly went to war without telling his family, because he knew they would do everything they could to hold him back,” says Ruslana Romanyuk.

“This is where Mykhailo got married, this is where he baptized his daughter, and from here he was seen off on his final journey”

For the book presentation, a special location was chosen, the author says. It is the St. Joseph the Betrothed Church in Chicago.

“This is where Mykhailo got married, this is where he baptized his daughter, and from here he was seen off on his final journey,” Ruslana Romanyuk said.

The book is planned to be distributed for free in school and city libraries in Ukraine, as well as in Ukrainian schools and organizations in Chicago.

The mother of the Hero of Ukraine says that, although she knows every letter in the book because she read all the memoirs before it was printed, she still does not have the strength to hold a finished copy and read it again.

“I don’t know why. I can’t understand myself. It’s just hard for me, hard to go through all of this again,” says Mariia Yavorska.

The memorial book of the Hero of Ukraine, serviceman Mykhailo Yavorskyi, “Forever in the Sun’s Rays”, was published in a print run of two thousand copies.

What is known about the Hero of Ukraine, Mykhailo Yavorskyi

Serviceman Mykhailo Yavorskyi was originally from Kolomyia. When he was 16, he moved to the United States with his family. He lived in Chicago for 25 years: he completed his education, got married, raised a daughter, and worked in the IT sector.

When he learned about the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he bought plane tickets, returned to Ukraine, and went to the front. For 15 months, he served as a rifleman in the 2nd rifle squad of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He fought in the Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk directions. His call sign was Chicago.

Mykhailo Yavorskyi died on May 25, 2023. Less than a year later, on May 6, 2024, the President of Ukraine posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine.

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