This love story began in dark times—during World War II—and proved that true feelings are not subject to time.
The story of Luigi and Mokrina’s eternal love
In 1943, Ukrainian Mokryna Yurzuk was taken to Austria for forced labor. The girl was 23 years old at the time and had a newborn daughter. Italian soldier Luigi Pedutto was 21 years old, and the young people fell in love. Their relationship did not last long, only two years, and during that time Luigi supported his beloved as best he could. There is a story that he sewed her a coat with his own hands from woolen fabric.
In 1945, when the war ended, the couple had few options. The girl could not stay in Europe and move to Italy, and the boy was not allowed to go to the USSR so that the couple could be together. So the young people were separated, and no one could have imagined that they would ever meet again.
At home, Mokrina got married and had a son and a daughter, while Luigi got married and had a son.
More than 60 years passed before they saw each other again, and this happened on a television program in 2004. The moment of their meeting is depicted in the sculpture Eternal Love in Kyiv. The lovers embraced and could not break their embrace for a long time, and Luigi exclaimed, “Thank you, Lord.” They were 82 and 84 years old at the time.
After that, Luigi visited the village of Verabovo near Kryvyi Rih several times, and the woman visited him in his hometown of Costello San Lorenzo. The man proposed that she stay with him forever, but Mokryna refused because of her age and health.
Monument Love Story in Kiev
The monument in honor of Luigi and Mokryna was solemnly unveiled in Kyiv on May 7, 2013. Its creation was financed by the Inter TV channel and presented to the city as a gift. Its architects were Oleksandr Morgatsky and Hryhoriy Kostyukov.
Unfortunately, Mokryna was unable to attend the opening ceremony, as traveling to the Ukrainian capital was too difficult for her. Luigi, however, was present and very active, giving a speech and gesturing, as is typical of temperamental Italians. A similar monument was erected in Luigi Pedutto’s hometown on April 30, 2017.
There is a plaque under the monument explaining its history. The plaque is in three languages: Russian, Ukrainian, and Italian.
The sculpture of Luigi and Mokryna is located in Khreshchatyk Park in Kyiv, right next to the entrance to the Bridge of Lovers.