Etched into black marble slabs, the names of 11 young men from the Russian town of Semibratovo serve as a somber testament to a war that has now entered its third year. Though the frontlines lie far away, the conflict has left its mark at home—many of the fallen once played as children in the same schoolyard where their memorial now stands.

Beside the life-sized engraving of a soldier, an inscription honors "our fellow countrymen who left their families after February 24, 2022, for the honor and sovereignty of our Motherland." A wreath in the colors of the Russian flag rests solemnly at the figure’s feet.

In this town of 6,000, over 100 men are currently serving in Ukraine. The community chose to place the monument by the school to imprint the war’s reality on young minds. “So that children walk past and, at least subconsciously, understand—this war is a terrible thing,” explains Viktor Sidorov, chairman of the Semibratovo veterans' council.

Sidorov stresses that the memorial stands as proof that this is, in fact, a war—not just an "operation." Alexei Gavrilov, who helped organize the project, believes it has brought home the conflict’s reality, even for those without family members at the front.

For some, the tribute stirs patriotism. "I feel pride for our guys who fought and died like this," says Daria, 20, as she pushes a baby stroller. Angelina, another local, hopes it inspires young people by showing "the patriotism of our fellow villagers."

As the war grinds on, more names—many belonging to men born in the mid-1990s—have been added to the stone.

When President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, calling it a "special military operation," the term suggested that daily life in Russia would remain largely unchanged. Yet in towns like Semibratovo, the war’s impact is undeniable.

Across the town, portraits of fallen soldiers hang on the gates of an Orthodox church. In a nearby cemetery, flags of the Wagner mercenary group and the Storm-Z convict battalions flutter over freshly dug graves. One headstone bears the image of a soldier gripping a machine gun, with an inscription that reads: "He who died in battle lives forever."