War is fertile ground for the cult of heroic death. When one country attacks another, the defense of the nation becomes a sacred struggle. Should they die, the country’s defenders become saints, and their memory is cherished just as religious believers revere the memory of the church’s principal saints. In the center of each Ukrainian town and in many villages, memorial avenues,featuring portraits of fallen soldiers have been created. They are a constant reminderin the heart of the community about the price paid for Ukrainian independence. More powerful than any video message by President Zelensky, these memorials serve to remind us that our lives pivot around the war and that Ukraine’s future, and by extension, the future of Ukrainians as a free people in an independent nation, hangs in the balance.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Ukrainians are well aware of what their loved ones, friends, husbands, and sons are dying for – unlike the Russians, who are waging a war of conquest. On YouTube, one can find many videos featuring Russian men and women asking what Russian soldiers are dying for in Ukraine. Every Russian knows one good answer: for money, for the chance to play a dangerous lottery. In reality, this lottery is a win-win for the families of Russian servicemen. While the soldiers fight, they earn a high salary, and if they are killed, their families receive massive (by Russian standards) financial compensation, if, of course, the soldier is not classified as “missing in action.”