‘Death doulas’ help the bereaved

Relatives mourning the death of Sergeant Oleksiy Bondarev, a Ukrainian soldier who died in the Donetsk region, during his funeral in Bucha, Ukraine, in December 2022. The work of those who guide people coping with acute grief has grown in importance in war-torn Ukraine, where death has become a daily reality since the Russian invasion. — ©2024 The New York Times Company

OLEKSANDRA Nekipelova sat down at a desk in her apartment, lit a small candle and opened her computer to join a video call.

“Tell me, please, what would you like to talk about this time?” Nekipelova asked.