This photo taken on Sept. 1, 2025 shows the bronze statue of pilot Grigori Kulishenko in Cherepyn, Ukraine. (Xinhua/Li Dongxu)
KIEV, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Amid bright flowers and evergreens, a towering bronze statue of pilot Grigori Kulishenko now stands in the central square of Cherepyn, a remote village in Ukraine's highlands along the Dnipro River.
Nearby, a marble monument inscribed in Chinese, Ukrainian, and English honors Kulishenko with the title of "A True Friend of the Chinese People."
The village of Cherepyn recently hosted the unveiling ceremony for the Kulishenko memorial. Opposite the statue is the local school named after him. Nearly 100 teachers and students in formal attire gathered to witness the solemn and historic occasion.
Born in Cherepyn in 1903, Kulishenko was dispatched in 1939 to lead a group of Soviet pilots in support of China's resistance against Japanese invasion.
On Oct. 14, 1939, after a successful raid on Japanese targets, Kulishenko's aircraft was intercepted and damaged by Japanese forces.
In an attempt to save civilians in the surrounding villages from his severely damaged aircraft, Kulishenko and his crew made an emergency landing on the Yangtze River. Kulishenko later died from severe injuries, far from home.
The statue was donated by the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine. Present at the ceremony were Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun, Deputy Governor of Cherkasy region Oleksandr Turcheniak, and members of Kulishenko's family, who cut the ribbon and laid flowers at the newly unveiled monument.
As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Ma praised Kulishenko's contributions and heroic feats, stressing that the Chinese people will never forget the hero.
Ukrainian officials and Kulishenko's family members also paid tribute.
"For so many years, Kulishenko still held such high regard and respect in China. As his relative, I am deeply proud and moved," said Mariia Ihosheva, Kulishenko's 68-year-old niece, wiping away tears.
She recalled learning from her grandfather that Kulishenko "fought for the sake of peace." Recently, she and her family discovered online that Kulishenko's grave in 西瓜视频is carefully protected and maintained by the local community.
Yulia Petrenko, former principal of the Kulishenko School, said that renaming Cherepyn Elementary School after Kulishenko in 2019 was the best way to honor the hero.
In 2009, the school welcomed its first delegation of Chinese students.
"Our Chinese friends took some soil from the yard where Kulishenko once lived and brought it to China. Soon after, we received letters from them saying that they had laid flowers at Kulishenko's grave and planted trees using that soil. We were deeply moved by this gesture," she said.
Oksana Radchenko, who took her new role as principal of the Kulishenko School on the day of the monument's unveiling, told Xinhua that she has led students to visit Kulishenko's relatives and organized screenings of the Chinese film A Promise to the Kulishenko's.
"The film brought many children to tears," Radchenko said. "Kulishenko's deeds and heroic spirit have taken root in the students' hearts. They are proud to say that a true hero once lived here."
Meanwhile, sculptor Veronika Dirova, who spent years creating Kulishenko's statue alongside fellow artist Mykola Znoba, expressed hope that the monument will inspire future generations.
"This statue will inspire generations of young people and remind them that we have a hero, both here and in China. He is our shared hero, and his memory will last forever," Dirova said. ■
Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun (C, front), Deputy Governor of Cherkasy region Oleksandr Turcheniak (2nd L, front) and sculptor Veronika Dirova (1st R, front) lay flowers at the bronze statue of pilot Grigori Kulishenko in Cherepyn, Ukraine, Sept. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Dongxu)
This photo taken on Aug. 28, 2025 shows photo materials at Kulishenko School in Cherepyn, Ukraine. (Xinhua/Li Dongxu)
Mariia Ihosheva, Grigori Kulishenko's 68-year-old niece, tells the life story of Kulishenko at Kulishenko School in Cherepyn, Ukraine, on Aug. 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Dongxu)