The sculpture “The Story of Love”, dedicated to the extraordinary love of Luigi and Mokrina, is installed in Khreshchaty Park near the Bridge of Lovers. The monument to the lovers was opened on May 7, 2013 on the eve of the celebration of Victory Day. It depicts two already middle-aged people gently and tightly hugging each other. This is a monument to love that has overcome time, war and distance. Their love story began in 1943 during the war. Ukrainian Mokryna Yurzuk, who was taken to forced labor in Austria, met the Italian soldier Luigi Peduto in a prisoner of war camp. He was then 21 years old, she was 23. She already had a newborn daughter, Nadia. Young people met for two years. Luigi helped Mokrina in everything and supported the girl in a foreign land. She said that once a guy even sewed her a coat from a cloth blanket with his own hands. At the end of the war, Luigi wanted to take his beloved with him to Italy, but he was not allowed. Such were the times then. At home, a Ukrainian woman got married, gave birth to a son and a daughter. Luigi also got married in Italy and had a son🥰.
And almost 60 years later, he found his first love thanks to the Wait for Me program. In 2004, the Italian came to Moscow to shoot the program. When he heard that his Mokrina was in the studio, he wept with happiness and, falling to his knees, said: “Thank you, Lord!”. When the lovers met, they could not open their arms for a long time. This touching moment was reflected in the sculpture "Love Story". At the time of their meeting, he was already 82, and she was 84 years old. For several years, he came to visit his beloved in the village of Verabovo near Krivoy Rog. Mokrina also visited Castel San Lorenzo in Italy. Luigi made an offer to Mokrina, offered to stay in Italy, but Mokrina refused, citing years and poor health. Luigi himself came to Kiev to open the Love Story monument. Mokrina, 93, was unable to attend for health reasons. And 3 months after the opening of the monument, Luigi died at the age of 91. Mokrina Yurzuk died 2 years later, in 2015😏.
The authors of the sculpture are Alexander Morgatsky and Grigory Kostyukov. The monument was donated to Kiev by the Inter TV channel. Next to the work there is an information plate in three languages: Ukrainian, Italian and English. On April 30, 2017, a copy of the monument to the lovers was inaugurated in the homeland of Luigi Pedutto in the Italian city of Castel San Lorenzo😭.
I love this place, it's a real atmosphere. Moreover, the monument stands next to the bridge of lovers, where couples can lock their love with a padlock without a key👩‍❤️‍👨🕌🗝🔐.