Dmytro Chorny tells of hunger, beatings and torture before a mass prisoner exchange freed him to go home to – and marry – his girlfriend, Diana
Despite all they have endured, it doesn’t take much to draw shy smiles from Diana Shikot, 24, and Dmytro Chorny, 23.
You could ask them about Chorny’s sweetly bungled marriage proposal the day after his release from Russia’s notorious penitentiary system, in which he languished as a prisoner of war for three years.
The proposal was made in their home town, Kropyvnytskyi, in central Ukraine, eight weeks ago. It was here where they first started to date when the then 16-year-old Shikot asked Chorny, 15, to walk her home.
Chorny had a whole speech prepared but in the moment – with his friends and prospective mother-in-law looking on – he was overcome, barely managing to get out “Will you marry me?” as he got down on one knee.
