“Igor Kosa will always be remembered as the most amazing, responsible and bravest person that I ever met. He was filled with great kindness and a heart of compassion. Although he was not a regular visitor at church, Igor always said. “In my heart, I believe in God. I know that He is out there”. – Iryna Larikova, Igor Kosa friend, they grew up together in the Oleshki orphan house (Kherson region).
When we talk about war, understand that war brings losses and devastating consequences. And, these losses can never be reversed. It seems like war takes away everything. For me, the loss of my lifetime friend was the most painful loss. He helped me in every facet of life, and now he is gone. My friend could do everything well. In his company, I could face problems boldly. He provided such comfort and courage and made me feel like nothing was impossible.

In Ukraine, we are overwhelmed with stories of human loss. And, almost all of these people lost their lives because they took risks to serve others. We feel fear, pain, betrayal and exist in constant danger. It has been difficult to remain a loving human and hard to help others, when you have lost what seems like everything. It becomes difficult to support others when you can barely stand on your own. It takes a great deal of strength to help others when you are in constant danger and see your homeland destroyed every day. Every Ukrainian has experienced these emotions.

My friend Igor was a true hero, one who took risks and found the strength to help others every day. Igor’s heart was set on serving others since childhood. Growing up in an orphanage, everyone knew who to turn to for help, Igor. He spent most of his time around adults, who saw his great potential. They knew that Igor’s future was bright, because of the great love for others in his heart. Igor never abandoned anyone with problems. Like everyone, Igor had strengths and weaknesses, and his overriding strength was his ability to successfully connect with people and serve them.

Being raised in an orphanage, Igor had every reason to despair and withdraw. He never knew his parents, had no material possessions, and had not received proper love and attention while growing up. Yet, he was exceptionally kind. Igor showed me that everything is possible if you directly face challenges and depend on the Lord for your strength.

Igor did not allow the Russian invasion and war in his homeland to stop him from serving others. From the first days of the war, he started helping others in need with the help of many friends. He did not serve as a soldier but rather as a philanthropist. Igor understood his role, and gave everything that he had to help his fellow Ukrainians. From the earliest days of the war, Igor used a car as a humanitarian taxi service. During the day, he would evacuate people from dangerous locations. At night, he delivered food to soldiers at checkpoints. He was often threatened by shelling around his vehicle, but he continued to drive each day. After two weeks, he had to return the initial car to the taxi service. Of course, that did not stop Igor.

At My Home, Igor worked for the social taxi service. You see, Igor had a physical disability, but that did not stop him from driving to help others. He reached out to My Home and asked for help locating a vehicle that he could drive to provide assistance to fellow Ukrainians in harm’s way. In typical fashion, when Igor made his mind up to do something, you can consider it done. So, a minivan was soon located and he continued to make volunteer trips in the war zone.

I talked to him and was amazed at his fearlessness in traveling into the face of danger, destruction, and death. I even pleaded with him not to travel, and Igor responded that he can’t just sit around and do nothing when people desperately needed help. Igor did not know the meaning of the words quit or stop. I lived in dread of losing Igor because of the daily risks he chose to take in the line of serving others.

As the war intensified in March 2022, Igor managed to make three round trips carrying humanitarian relief goods from Kyiv to Kherson, which was already occupied by the Russians. Igor evacuated more than 30 people from Irpen and Bucha. He visited cities where fierce battles were underway.

He rescued people from intense shelling. Even cars and vans like his carrying humanitarian aid were shot at regularly by our unwelcome invaders. Igor and others worked together tirelessly with other volunteers to get supplies to our Ukrainian friends under attack.

So many people survived the early invasion and occupation and are now safe because of the heroics of Igor and others. “My Home” and many volunteers worked with Igor and gave instructions regarding where help was needed, but also told him not to travel to the dangerous zones. But Igor continued to deliver humanitarian aid to the temporarily occupied region of Kherson and shuttled people out of Kherson on the way back to safe places. Igor helped so many families with children and people with disabilities.

Ruthless enemies in war do not choose between good and evil. They try to destroy everything in its
path. And Igor was working directly in war’s path. At that time, Russian soldiers shot at civilian targets. On March 31, 2022, I lost contact with my friend, Igor. No one knew what happened to him for a whole year. It was the most traumatic year of my life for many reasons, including losing touch with Igor. Every day, I awaited information about him. As each day passed, I increasingly feared the worst.

A full year later in the Spring of 2023, authorities found Igor’s car beside the road he regularly traveled to help deliver supplies. Not only did they find his car, they found parts of his body. I was crushed to hear this terrible news of an atrocity. Adapting to life without Igor is difficult. But, I must go on and live to help others, just like Igor did until the very end.