Kindratskyi Vasyl Mykhailovych
public figure, journalist, participant of the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. Volunteer of the OUN battalion (the OUN battalion was a separate company in the 5th battalion tactical reconnaissance group of the 81st separate airmobile brigade of the Highly Mobile Landing Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine), participant of the ATO in eastern Ukraine. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (1989)
On May 25, 2015, he heroically raised the OUN flag in the village of Vodyane, at the highest point on the mine, from which Donetsk is visible.
Died on May 28, 2015 from wounds received as a result of a direct hit by a tank shell during the shelling of the “Shakhta” position by Russian militants near the village of Vodyane, Yasynuvatsky district, Donetsk region.
Posthumously awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd degree and the Order of “People’s Hero of Ukraine”
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Yevhen Gulevych
21.07.1975 – 31.12.2022
Cultural expert, journalist, philosopher, translator and researcher. Junior sergeant of the 46th separate airmobile brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, volunteer participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (2000)
After the start of the full-scale invasion, Yevhen underwent training and became a machine gunner. At first he fought in the southern direction, and later their unit went to Donbas.
Yevhen Gulevych was killed by a Russian sniper’s bullet while defending the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. This happened on December 31, 2022. From then until March 28, 2023, he was considered missing.
“During war, a gigantic avalanche of things occurs that fall into memory without a reason, that is, by itself, and at the same time that which, with the great tuning fork of joint attention, adjusts personal, so different memories. The avalanche of memory will gradually become a monotonous event, a thing that cannot be lost and forgotten. This, of course, is something more than war with its curtains. Even from the same battle scene, two people will intensely remember different things. We must speak to reach an agreement. We must not speak to hear. Memory acts of its own accord, regardless of what we do,” Yevhen wrote 2 days before his death.
Posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” of the 3rd degree and the distinction of Honorary Citizen of the Kalusa Urban Territorial Community.
Taras Matviyiv
18.02.1989 – 10.07.2020
Public figure, journalist, participant of the Revolution of Dignity. Volunteer of the ATO and the Joint Forces Operation. Platoon commander of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Hero of Ukraine. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (2011)
In the summer of 2015, Taras became a volunteer of the Separate Volunteer Platoon “Carpathian Sich”, fought in Pisky. In September 2018, he enrolled in leadership courses at the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny, where he received the military rank of junior lieutenant and since December 2019 has been serving under a contract as a platoon commander in the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
Died on July 10, 2020 as a result of Russian shelling near the village of Troitske in Luhansk Oblast. Taras Matviyev saved two brothers from death at the cost of his own life.
“I believed that you can achieve progressive success by transforming society from below. And this principle works. If you have in stock immense patience, several decades and a team of the same ascetics who are ready to constantly sacrifice their own comfort, relationships and career ladder. Otherwise – prepare your boat for sailing with leaky sails and without life jackets. And I sailed as much as I could! Sometimes recklessly, until the compass finally went wrong… There is an acute lack of scale of tasks and new opportunities for knowledge, new challenges and new acquaintances. I would be consoled even with a crumb of involvement in the creation of a historical moment. “The thoughts that had been lurking somewhere deep on the periphery have finally broken out,” Taras Matviyiv wrote in his “Shchonichnyk” on July 31, 2018, and in September he entered the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny.
Posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the award of the Order of the Gold Star.
Valentyn Prysich
11.08.1994 – 17.09.2022
Philologist, journalist, trade specialist, volunteer. Combat medic. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (2017)
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Valentyn has been actively involved in volunteering: he raised funds for the needs of the army and helped organize military supplies for the 80th DShB.
In May 2022, he joined the ranks of volunteers. He underwent training as a combat medic and took an oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people. Since June 2022, he has been a combat medic in the 95th DShB. He participated in operations near Dovgeny, the Izyum counter-operation, and the operation to liberate Lyman.
While providing assistance to his comrades during shelling, Valentyn Prysich was killed by an enemy sniper bullet. This happened on September 17, 2022.
Posthumously awarded the Medal “For Military Service to Ukraine”
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Roman Ryazhsky
14.10.1996 – 06.01.2024
Journalist, brand journalist. Volunteer of the 95th separate airborne assault brigade. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (2019)
From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Roman voluntarily joined the territorial defense. At the same time, he worked in Kyiv, engaged in brand journalism.
In September 2023, he decided to volunteer for the front. Then the Faculty of Journalism also joined the collection of funds for ammunition for Roman Ryazhsky, collecting over 60 thousand hryvnias in 5 days.
After training, he joined the 95th separate airborne assault brigade and went to the Donetsk region. He performed combat missions as a gunner of the 2nd airmobile detachment of the 2nd airmobile platoon of the 4th airmobile company of the airmobile battalion of the military unit.
The last time Roman Ryazhsky was contacted was on December 29, 2023. Then he wrote: “When I survive this meat grinder, the first place I will go will be the journalism school.”
On January 4, 2024, while performing a combat mission, Roman was wounded as a result of artillery fire. He was hospitalized at the Dnipro Regional Clinical Hospital named after Mechnikov. The soldier died from injuries incompatible with life. This happened on January 6, 2024.
Vadim Koftunov
08.07.1971 – 06.01.2024
Dog handler, journalist. Participant in the ATO. Volunteer of the 63rd separate mechanized brigade. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
Vadym Koftunov devoted more than 20 years of his life to the dog service, training dogs. The man also defended the Ukrainian borders for three years during the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern Ukraine.
From the first days of the full-scale war, Vadym Koftunov could not stay away and immediately volunteered for the front. He defended Ukraine in the ranks of the 63rd separate mechanized brigade of the Reserve Corps of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Vadym is survived by his wife, daughter and sister.
Roman Pankevych
1980 – 2024
Public figure, journalist. Participant of the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. Member of the OUN Volunteer Movement and a fighter of the OUN volunteer battalion. Soldier of the rifle platoon. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Roman Pankevych served as a rifleman-grenade launcher of the rifle section of the rifle platoon of the rifle company of the military unit A7271.
Roman Pankevych died on April 19, 2024 as a result of mortar shelling. This happened near Krasnohorivka, Donetsk region.
Roman is survived by two children and a wife.
Andriy Dusan
1977 – 2024
Journalist. Soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. 2003.
On May 9, 2024, military man Andriy Dusan (born 1977), a resident of the Komarnivska community, died in the Donetsk region
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Bohdan Markevych
04.09.1986 – 28.09.2024
Journalist, lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism. Defender of Ukraine. Graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (2009).
After completing his studies, Bohdan Markevych began working as a laboratory assistant at the Department of Mass Media Language. In 2019, he began teaching students as an assistant professor. He was repeatedly the curator of student groups. The students loved him very much, and he loved them. Bohdan Markevich single-handedly assembled a library of several thousand books with unique copies of literature.
“We must remember that we have an external enemy, and this is Russia,” he said.
In January 2024, Bohdan Mykhailovych stood up for the defense of Ukraine. Defending our state from the enemy, he continued to communicate with students and colleagues. At first, he served in the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region, then as part of the evacuation brigade from the same center.
Died on September 28th in the line of duty.
The texts are based on information collected by student activists from the Faculty of Journalism.