In a moving display of love and loss, Sofia Petrova, the best friend of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, has unveiled an intimate tribute capturing the vibrant essence of Zarutska’s last full day—a cascade of laughter, shared secrets, and unbridled light that now serves as a bittersweet beacon for those left behind. Shared on social media platforms like Instagram and X on September 20, the montage of photos and videos paints a portrait of a young woman radiating hope, only for that glow to be extinguished hours later by a ruthless assault on a Charlotte light rail train. As the community rallies for accountability, Petrova’s words resonate: “Iryna didn’t just live—she illuminated every room, every moment. Her final day was pure magic, and I’ll carry that forever.”

Petrova, 24, a fellow Ukrainian émigré and classmate at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College where Zarutska honed her English skills from 2023 to 2025, posted the tribute under the handle @sofia_p_art, amassing over 50,000 views in days. The collection opens with a sun-drenched selfie from August 21, the pair arm-in-arm at a local park near Huntersville, Zarutska’s tousled waves catching the golden hour light as they clink iced coffees in mock toasts. “We spent the afternoon wandering, talking dreams—her sketches of animal clinics, my silly poetry,” Petrova narrated in voiceover, her tone a mix of warmth and wistful ache. Clips follow: Zarutska twirling in a handmade sundress she designed, the fabric swirling like a summer storm; a goofy dance-off in Petrova’s cramped apartment kitchen, hips swaying to a playlist of Ukrainian folk remixes blended with Taylor Swift; and a quiet evening huddled on the couch, Zarutska sketching a whimsical cat portrait while Petrova braided her hair, whispers of future adventures filling the air.

“This was Iryna at her brightest—laughing until we cried, loving without reservation,” Petrova wrote in the caption, her words threading through the reel like a lifeline. “We baked her mom’s pirozhki recipe at midnight, flour everywhere, plotting her vet assistant gig and my art show. She hugged me goodbye that night, saying, ‘Tomorrow’s ours, Sof—big things.’ Little did we know…” The post, set to a haunting rendition of “Hallelujah,” ends with a still from their last embrace, Zarutska’s eyes sparkling with that signature mischief Petrova called “her secret superpower.” Fans and strangers alike flooded the comments: “She sounds like sunshine in human form—holding you both close,” one wrote, while another added, “This tribute is everything. Justice for Iryna’s light.” Hashtags #IrynasLight and #ForeverYoung trended locally, amplifying the reel to over a million impressions.

Zarutska’s final day encapsulated the resilient spirit that defined her brief American odyssey. Having fled Kyiv in August 2022 with her mother Olena, sister Sofia (no relation to Petrova), and brother amid Russia’s invasion, the 23-year-old arrived in Huntersville seeking solace and opportunity. A graduate of Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in Art and Restoration, she channeled her creativity into sculpting vibrant clothing and dreaming of veterinary work, often volunteering to walk neighbors’ pets with her “radiant smile.” By day, she thrived as a line cook at Zepedies Pizzeria in downtown Charlotte, where colleagues remembered her as an “incredible employee” and “true friend,” even donning the shop’s shirt on her fateful commute. Petrova, who met Zarutska in an English immersion class, became her confidante, the two bonding over shared homesickness and aspirations. “She was the glue,” Petrova echoed Zarutska’s uncle in the tribute, her voice cracking. “That day, we felt invincible—pool dips, card games, endless giggles. She was building wings here.”

But the promise of “tomorrow” was stolen in an instant. On August 22, after a shift at the pizzeria, Zarutska boarded the Lynx Blue Line at Scaleybark station around 9:45 p.m., groceries for a quiet taco dinner with boyfriend Alex Rivera tucked in her tote. Surveillance footage from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), released publicly on September 5, captured the horror at East/West Boulevard station in the revitalized South End: four minutes into the ride, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. allegedly lunged from behind, wielding a pocketknife and striking her multiple times, including in the neck. A bystander’s 911 call at 9:52 p.m. halted the train, but Zarutska succumbed en route to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center. Brown, with 14 prior arrests including armed robbery and documented mental health struggles, was captured hours later and charged with first-degree murder; federal prosecutors seek the death penalty.

Petrova’s tribute has deepened the wound while fueling a chorus for change. “Seeing her so alive, then knowing… it breaks me,” she told WCNC in a follow-up interview, tears flowing. “She deserved tomorrows—school, art shows, that vet clinic. We demand safer streets for dreamers like her.” The video’s raw joy—swims in community pools, hugs with friends, dances under string lights—contrasts starkly with the apathy captured in the attack footage, where passengers froze as Zarutska gasped her final plea: “I can’t breathe… what happened?” It echoes broader outrage, with X users decrying urban vulnerabilities: “Iryna’s light snuffed out by indifference—when do we act?” one post read, garnering thousands of shares.

The ripple effects continue. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, in a September 24 town hall, hailed the tribute as “a call to our collective conscience,” pledging doubled patrols and mental health kiosks on the Blue Line, backed by $12 million in federal grants from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Attorney General Pamela Bondi framed it as “a failure of soft policies,” while President Donald Trump extended “love and hope,” decrying sanctuary for repeat offenders. Zarutska’s family, including her Ukraine-bound father, viewed the footage alongside the public, her uncle telling ABC News: “Just terrible… she didn’t deserve that.” A GoFundMe for therapy and scholarships has surpassed $400,000, with Petrova vowing an art exhibit of Zarutska’s designs.

Vigils swell in her honor: on September 23, 300 gathered at Huntersville Town Center, releasing lanterns etched with her unsent note—”America, you’ve given me wings”—now a mantra for the lost. Petrova’s reel, reposted by influencers like @TaraBull808, underscores Zarutska’s humanity: “This is who they target—pure joy, stolen.” As Brown’s October arraignment looms, the tribute stands as defiant light: Zarutska’s laughter echoing, urging a world to listen, act, and remember.

In Petrova’s closing words: “Your day was joy, Iryna. We’ll make sure the world feels it—through justice, through love.” For updates, follow @sofia_p_art or the Charlotte Ukrainian Community Center.