From The Anchoress comes this astonishing example of “sand animation,” from the Ukraine.

The explanation:

The video tells the story of life during World War II or The Great Patriotic War, as it’s known in the Ukraine.

It is no doubt the reason for the emotional reactions of some of the audience.

The Ukraine was one of the most devastated countries of WWII, with 1 in 4 Ukrainians killed and nearly 20% of all people killed in the war being from the Ukraine!

The final frame of the animation shows the ghost of a fallen sailor and text that reads: “You are always nearby”.

Watch and weep.