Murdered Ukrainian in the United States: Who was Iryna Zarutska before she left Kyiv?
11 September 04:47
The tragic story of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has shaken both the United States and Ukraine. the 23-year-old girl, who was stabbed to death in Charlotte, North Carolina, lived in Kyiv before the war and devoted herself to art. Her teachers and friends call her a talented artist who, since her youth, dreamed of combining creativity and love of animals. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Radio Liberty.
Living in Kyiv and studying at college
Iryna Zarutska was born on May 22, 2002, in the capital of Ukraine. In 2017-2021, she studied at the Synergy College in Kyiv, majoring in Art and Restoration. Her specialty is a painter-restorer of decorative artistic paintings.
Her teachers recall that Iryna was a quiet, modest, yet energetic student who always sat in the front row. She was good at watercolors, pencils, and paints, participated in art projects at the college, and created portraits and decorative murals.
“Talented by nature”
According to the curator of the group, Tetiana Biiakovska, Iryna was distinguished by her extraordinary skill in reproducing marble with paint and was attentive to the smallest details.
“She could work for hours until she got the picture perfect,” the teacher recalls.
At the college, Iryna participated in the painting of the walls of the building and the courtyard. Her works remained on the walls of the educational institution as a memory of her talent and efforts.
Dreams and interests
Zarutska loved art, but she also dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant. She took care of stray animals in her neighborhood, feeding cats and dogs. Iryna’s family lived in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv, which was often subjected to Russian shelling. It was probably because of the danger that the family decided to emigrate.
Moving to the United States
In August 2022, Iryna moved to the United States with her mother, sister, and brother. The family settled in the city of Charlotte.
There, she enrolled in a local college and worked at the Zepeddie pizzeria, where her colleagues remember her as a “bright and friendly person.”
The tragedy in Charlotte
on August 22, 2025, Iryna was attacked by a man with a knife on a Charlotte streetcar. Police arrested 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, who has already been charged with first-degree murder. The motive for the crime is currently unknown.
Zarutskaya’s death caused a resonance in the United States and around the world. President Donald Trump called for the suspect’s execution, and Elon Musk said he would finance the creation of murals depicting the Ukrainian woman.
In memory of Iryna
Iryna’s friends, teachers, and colleagues remember her as a kind, sincere, and talented girl who knew how to give light to others. Her artwork remains in Ukraine, and the grateful memories of those who knew her personally remain in the United States.
