Iryna Zarutska’s boyfriend has shared a heartbreaking video showing the young Ukrainian embracing life in America before her dream was cruelly cut short.
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The 23-year-old refugee had just moved in with her partner Stas Nikulytsia in Charlotte, North Carolina, when she was st::abbed to d3ath in an unprovoked attack on a light rail train last month.
In a poignant compilation posted to Instagram, Nikulytsia showed his girlfriend reveling in her new life in America – sipping cocktails, eating barbecue and dancing with friends.
The video also captured tender moments, including the couple embracing in an elevator, kissing the camera and enjoying their early twenties.
Zarutska fled a bomb shelter in Ukraine in 2022 with her mother, sister and brother to escape the war. She quickly learned English and had been ‘hoping for a new beginning’ when she came to Charlotte, her family said.
She worked at Zepeddi3’s pizzeria in the south of the city to make ends meet while learning to drive and dreaming of becoming a veterinary assistant.
The art school graduate’s family declined to have her body returned to Ukraine, saying she would have wanted to be buried in the US because ‘she loved America.’
Clearly enamored by her new city, she even posted a photograph of the Charlotte skyline on Facebook just nine days before she di3d.
Stas Nikulytsia, the boyfriend of Iryna Zarutska, the refugee who was m::urdered on a North Carolina train, has shared a heartbreaking video of her living the American dream before her life was cruelly cut short. (Pictured: Nikulytsia and Zarutska. They had just moved in together)
Horrific footage (shown in a screenshot above) captured the moment Ukrainian refugee Zarutska, 23, was st::abbed to d3ath from behind as she sat on a train in North Carolina
Iryna Zarutska’s boyfriend shares emotional video of her “joyful” life in America after tragic k!lling
The boyfriend of m::urdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has shared a moving video celebrating her life in America, following her tragic d3ath on Aug. 22, 2025.
Stas Nikulytsia, whose Instagram handle is @nstanilsav, uploaded the emotional reel to the platform on Sept. 15, where it has since received over 7900 likes and hundreds of comments from all over the world.
Commenters expressed their sympathies, as well as gratitude at being shown a glimpse of her happy life in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her partner and friends.
What does the video show?
In the video, set to the song “The Last Day” by Moby ft. Skylar Grey, Iryna can be seen enjoying her life in the United States, where she moved in 2022 with her family after fleeing the war in Ukraine. She is seen engaging in hobbies and activities typical of a normal 23-year-old, including hanging out with friends by the pool, drinking beers, dancing, and playing card games.
In one clip, she embraces her boyfriend, Stas, in an elevator, smiling at the camera; in others, she pulls faces, dances, and laughs without a care in the world.
Commenters were struck by the normality and joyfulness of the clips, in contrast with the harrowing way Iryna’s life ended, but thanked Stas for posting them.
“I think many are grateful to see her as she was, rather than only in those final moments,” user Vinter.skugga said, in a comment that received over 1100 likes.
“Thank you for sharing a piece of your beautiful Iryna’s life with us,” commented Ryan_malachy.
“I’ll watch this many times to try to forget that horrible video. I want to remember her this way, happy and smiling,” someone else added.
Others flooded in from around the world, including comments written in Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese.
Many commented on how loved Iryna was by her community and her kind nature.
“You know when you can just tell by looking at someone’s face that they had a great heart. That’s what I’m getting from this video. She looked like the sweetest, softest, kindest soul. The person least deserving of such a heinous crime. I hope wherever she is now, it’s a much better place than here,” wrote Ruggedwestco.
“It feels a little better to see how much she was loved. I can’t imagine how it must feel for all of those who were close to her. Rest in peace Angel,” wrote another user.
What happened to Iryna Zarutska?
While returning home on Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line from a shift at the pizzeria she worked at, Iryna Zarutska was brutally st::abbed by the man seated behind her. Her k!ller, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr, was arrested at the scene. In the weeks since her m::urder, questions have been raised about crime rates and safety on public transport.
Iryna had previously moved to the United States in 2022 to start a new life after escaping war-torn Ukraine. She was a creative and studious person with a degree in Art and Restoration, and adored animals.
“She often cared for her neighbors’ pets, and many fondly remember seeing her walking them through the neighborhood, always with her radiant smile. She dreamed of pursuing a career as a Veterinary Assistant while also working toward her independence by learning to drive. Remarkably, she became fluent in English within a very short time, reflecting her determination and love of learning,” her obituary reads.
Her boyfriend Stas, was also described in her obituary as her life partner. According to the Charlotte Observer, the couple had moved in together in May of this year, and she had recently bought a Cadillac, which he was teaching her how to drive.
As well as the moving video, Stas posted another tribute on Instagram showing the couple by a lake, simply captioned with a broken heart.
A GoFundMe page for Iryna, set up by friends of her aunt Valeria, has raised $450,000 as of September 19th.
“Ira had recently arrived in the United States, seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning. Tragically, her life was cut short far too soon,” it reads.
“This is an irreparable loss for her family. We have created this fundraiser to support Valeria and her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses.”
