"The National Hero of Ukraine" award became the first after a two-year break

For obvious reasons, no non-governmental awards have been made since February 2022. But applications continued to come in. People told us about those who, in their opinion, deserved to be honored. And when it became known that some of the soldiers who had been nominated during their lifetime had died, it became clear through the pain that it was necessary to present the awards in order to recognize those who defend Ukraine during their lifetime and to show the people's gratitude to them. It is clear that the mission had to comply with all security measures. Therefore, neither the place of the award ceremony nor the date and time were publicly announced. It was communicated in person. Everyone was understanding of these measures. At the same time, it was nice that the organ hall of the palace in the Ternopil region was full.

Let me remind you of the main principles of the National Hero of Ukraine award. The silver tridents (national Ukraine's coat of arms-ed.) are made of silver, which is still donated to the mission by everyone. Anyone can apply by filling out a form on Facebook: The Award Council selects candidates for discussion, votes for them, and by majority vote, forms a list for the next award ceremony. Ten to twelve days before the ceremony, this list is put up for public discussion, after which the award ceremony takes place.

This order cannot be applied for with money, and the mission does not collect monetary contributions from those already awarded. Everything is done on a volunteer basis. Organizers who wish to host the ceremony in their city arrange for a hall and accommodation for the heroes and their families. There are already a few fraudsters who make similar awards and distribute them to anyone for contributions. On the Internet, you can find a remotely similar "award" that is made for money. None of this has anything to do with the Silver People's Award. And those who accept such awards or buy them themselves have no right to be called People's Heroes. Each silver award has its own number. And the mission keeps a close eye on it.

Volodymyr Holodniuk, a tireless volunteer from Zbarazh, took it upon himself to resume the award ceremony. He suggested the place of the event and did everything to make those who came to the Ternopil region feel comfortable and relaxed. The fact that the event was a success was confirmed by the words of one of the awardees: "For the first time in two years, I have a feeling of a bright, joyful meeting. It was like taking a breath of fresh air. I feel light in my soul." And indeed, we see each other more often nowadays at funerals for the dead than at festive events. And here we managed to organize a small celebration.

The ceremony was hosted by actress and director Kateryna Stepankova.  She has not only been performing for the military and visiting them in hospitals since 2014, but her husband and eldest son have been in the Armed Forces since February 2022. Although one is a choreographer and the other is a cinematographer. "The National Hero mission is a family," Kateryna Stepankova greeted all those present, "In 2016, when I joined the awards, it was a special privilege. I knew many people, but it was at the National Hero that I was able to touch, thank, and hug those I had heard about. Some of them became friends. Some are no longer with us. This only makes the family stronger, because we have a common memory, common pains, and a common movement forward."

Kateryna's partner that day was Yevhen Nyshchuk, a wonderful actor, Voice of the Maidan, and now a soldier. "This is an award of justice," said Yevhen, "That's why it's called the National Award for a reason. It is here that those who are overlooked by the large state award system are found. It is the " National Hero of Ukraine" that makes it possible to establish justice. Our fight continues. Our victory is irreversible."

The awards were presented by the legendary actress, a woman who feels like the mother of all Ukrainian defenders, Hero of Ukraine Ada Rohovtseva. "You know, I look at people, not only at you now, but in general lately around me, and all people are very focused. Smiles rarely appear on their faces, laughter is not heard. And that's right, because people need to be focused. It is a difficult time. And at this time, it is very valuable to recognize those who have distinguished themselves, who have done something extraordinary, who have not been afraid, who have not withdrawn, who have shown by their example that the impossible is possible. All those who fight, without exception, are heroes. But there are heroes among heroes. And today we are going to honor those who have been recognized in a special way. You know that silver was donated for these awards: some gave a chain, some a ring. And it warms the soul. It is wonderful that people give everything. It has to be so for us to win. So let's keep going. Let's wish our heroes to come back from the war alive and well. Glory to Ukraine!"

Together with Ada Mykolaivna, the awards were presented by Borys Kharchuk, a paratrooper with the 95th Air Assault Brigade, a National Hero of Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine, who lost his left arm in 2022. By the way, he is returning to his native unit to continue defending the country.

All ceremonies always begin with a prayer. This time, Father Dmytro Povorotnyi came to the ceremony from Dnipro. "Now, as it says in the Psalm of Davyd, we are passing through the valley of death," he addressed the audience. "Today we have gathered to honor the heroism of ordinary people who have stepped over their own fear and taken a step towards the challenge of the Russian world," Father Dmytro emphasized. We are now living in a time when we can break the false paradigm of our people's existence on this God-given land. We can now not just withstand, as we are already doing, we can break the back of the enemy who has always tried to conquer us."

Volodymyr Korotia, a fighter with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, call sign Povstanets (Insurgent -ed.), was the first to receive the award. He was represented by public figure Petro Shcherbyna: "Volodymyr led the defense of Irpin at the Zhyraf checkpoint. He created the operational volunteer company-tactical group "Irpin" and prevented Russian equipment and artillery from entering from Bucha. After that, he participated in the Bakhmut operation. It is nice that this award has found Volodymyr. And it is not only his award, but also that of his comrades-in-arms, and above all those who gave the most valuable thing - their lives - in the battles for Ukraine."

Upon receiving the military medal, Volodymyr said: "I dedicate this award to my infantry, who go into battle with me, who trust me as a commander. And for this I try to take care of them as much as possible. I was asked what line from a nationalist's prayer is the most valuable to me. I will say this: Let my faith be granite!"

Two families received awards for their loved ones who died after the full-scale invasion.

Ihor, call sign Demon, was nominated for the award by his colleagues from the Omega unit of the National Guard of Ukraine a year ago. He actively fought and repeatedly proved himself. When the Mission's Award Council started working on the list of candidates for this award and was studying the application for this particular serviceman, the unit's soldiers informed them that Ihor had been killed a month ago

"April 2022... The group was returning from a combat mission behind the front line," a fighter with the call sign Buh said about his comrade. "There was a massive artillery attack and an air raid. Unfortunately, three soldiers were seriously wounded and needed to be evacuated quickly. Thanks to Ihor's icy intelligence and thoughtful actions, he managed to get them out quickly. As it turned out, it was the timeliness of the help that saved one of them. Half an hour later, he would not have survived. But this is not the end of the story. During the evacuation, Ihor also noticed that the enemy, numbering 30-40 militants, had broken through the defense and was rapidly approaching the company's position, where one company had failed. Ihor had the right to withdraw. But he stayed. He took control of the battle and organized the repulsion of the attack. If the enemy had broken through, the whole company would have been surrounded and could have been killed. This was the main direction the enemy was attacking at the time. The consequences would have been sad. Ihor's death is a loss on a national scale."

"Heroes never really die," said Svitlana, Ihor's wife, "They remain in our memory forever. I think Ihor would have been proud of this award, but he did not collect awards. They were not important to him. He cared about the morale of his soldiers and the future of our Ukraine, where his two boys will live."

Ivan Antoniuk, call sign Antonio, died in Popasna, for which the 24th Brigade fought fearlessly and courageously in March 2022. Serhii Mazorchuk, deputy commander of the 14th Brigade, who was Ivan's commander in the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 24th Brigade, recalled his comrade and friend: "Ivan joined my company in 2015 as a mechanic-driver. And people immediately began to follow him. When he was appointed commander of the company, which was not in the best condition, Ivan managed to turn the unit into the best company in the brigade in less than six months. On the day Ivan died, enemy vehicles broke through to the subordinate unit's command-and-observation post and, like in the movies, he went out with his assault rifle on the tank.  But, unfortunately, we don't have Hollywood superheroes, we have ordinary guys - and an enemy bullet killed him..."

The commander of the 1st separate battalion of the 67th Brigade, which is named after DaVinci, Yurii Kapustiak, also served with Ivan in the same unit: "Ivan was a leader. On the day when the tanks came to the subordinate unit's command-and-observation post, he took the fight, turned the artillery on himself and gave his life."

Mother Svitlana, accepting her son's award, said: "Ivan left me as a child. He was even ashamed to smoke or say a bad word. His commanders and comrades-in-arms made him a hero. Ivan never doubted our victory, and that's why I thought it would come soon..."

Soldier Kostiantyn Prykhodko, call sign Topolia, came to the award ceremony from Avdiivka. Having devoted himself to the defense of the country for many years, he has not yet been recognized by any combat award from the state. The national award he received is all the more valuable.

The commander of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 54th Brigade, Hero of Ukraine Kyrylo Veres, came to introduce the soldier from the front: "In 2018-2019, Topolia's friend served in my unit. When he came to me, he was just a nice guy. In two years, he was in the assault troops, conducted some operations when we went to the other side. He worked his way up to an artilleryman with a capital letter. I would say the following about his achievements: the most successful combat operations in our unit were carried out when Topolia was serving with us and with his participation. He was a commander in one of the mortar teams. And he was so successful that almost 90% of the operations were always accurate, the target was always destroyed. I have many servicemen under my command. If I were given only ten awards and told to choose only ten out of a thousand of my servicemen, Topolia would be among them. I am very grateful to the Rada that the award has found its Hero. Glory to Ukraine!"

Volunteer fighter Oleh Bonchynskyi, a friend Bonia, added: "Topolia is an older brother in his work and a younger brother in his life. Topolia did a lot for the liberation of Chernihiv region even from a distance. Someday we will be able to tell about it. He has been preparing for the war since he was a child, and I always remember his words: we will all be tired of this war. We hope that our victory is not far off. And we will go around the mountains, if necessary."

Upon accepting the award, Topolia said: "I would like to thank all those who did not stand aside at a time when such a disaster happened in our country. I would like to thank all those who are contributing to the achievement of our goal. I would like to thank all those who have proven that there is strength in unity. I would like to thank those who did not flee our country, did not hide, but bravely defend our motherland. I would also like to thank my comrades-in-arms who have been a reliable support over the years, people who could be relied on in any circumstances. And, of course, I would like to thank the commanders who lead us to victory. And I am honored to walk with them along the way. I thank you all. I am honored to live among you."

It still surprises everyone to see patrol police officers who have formed their own combat unit on the front line. But they are indeed fighting on equal terms with the Armed Forces. In a video shot in the already surrounded Popasna, patrol policemen gather people in basements and take them out. They managed to rescue 90-year-old, sick and bedridden people. When they went outside, they asked the police in horror: "They are shooting. They are shooting here!" And a calm voice replied: "They are shooting, but not at us. They won't hit us." And after a pause, as if to himself: "I hope so..." This is the voice of Viktor Levchenko, who at the time was the head of the Luhansk Regional Patrol Police Department. It was he who received the award " National Hero of Ukraine". But not only for saving civilians.

"From the very beginning of the war, Viktor has united the patrolling Cossacks of Luhansk region around him," said police captain Anton Borovkov, "He showed by his own example that the police can really perform combat missions. When we were evacuating more than 90 civilians from Popasna, the convoy came under fire twice, there were 300th, whom the patrolmen helped... We evacuated everyone. In Lysychansk, the unit's personnel lived in the building of the Luhansk regional administration. At some point, Viktor ordered everyone to go to Dnipro. And the next day a rocket came and destroyed the building completely. Six police officers were injured, including the commander. He had to be dug out of the rubble. If the personnel had stayed in the city, there would have been more casualties... It was like a premonition to bring people to safety. After a long treatment, Viktor joined the ranks of a combat unit of the patrol police, which at that time was performing tasks in the Kherson direction. Then there were the events near Balakliia and Lyman, in which he participated. From the patrol police of Luhansk region, Viktor created the RoboCops group, whose fighters mastered the art of operating fpv drones. And now they are destroying the enemy in Bilohorivka, near Kreminna and in the Bakhmut direction. This group has destroyed more than ten units of enemy armored vehicles, and there is evidence of enemy personnel losses."

Studying the application, the members of the Mission's Awards Council found a "greeting" from DaVinci. He considered a fighter from his unit, Petro Kobylynskyi, a Bezsmertnyi (Immortal-ed.) friend, to be an undisputed hero. Now Petro serves in the 59th Brigade. And there he proved to be a courageous and trained fighter.

"My friend Bezsmertnyi (Immortal-ed.) and I were introduced by our commander, DaVinci's friend Dmytro Kotsiubailo, back in 2017," said Yurii Kapustiak, commander of the 1st separate battalion "DaVinci Wolves." "I was impressed by the training of my friend Bezsmertnyi (Immortal-ed.). He knows how to fly unmanned aerial vehicles, an assault aircraft, and can work in defense. He has studied mortar work and mastered cannon artillery. He knows engineering and sapper work. I was surprised by his skills, as well as his courage, strength, and determination. Friend Bezsmertnyi (Immortal-ed.) is a true hero of Ukraine."

Petro's current commander and friend Hamlet also added a few words: "I met Bezsmertnyi (Immortal-ed.) in 2016 when I also met DaVinci, who saved my life when I was injured. When I look at the Immortal, it seems to me that he has no sense of fear. But no, he does. He just knows how to control it properly. During the full-scale attack, friend Bezsmertnyi (Immortal-ed.) was blown up six times during the assaults both near Mykolaiv and in Donbas. But he always goes back into battle. When I look at Bezsmertnyi (Immortal-ed.), I remember DaVinci. This award is from him."

The mission tries to find heroes in all branches of the military. It is impossible to award everyone at once, but during this ceremony, there were representatives of the Army Aviation in the hall. People who hit the enemy from the sky.

The helicopter pilot, Volodymyr Ostapenko, who received the Order of the National Hero of Ukraine, was represented by the helicopter unit commander, Captain Maksym Kocherzhenko: "For us, the full-scale war began with the defense of Mykolaiv and Kherson region. Then there was the Kharkiv operation, starting with the Kharkiv bypass, Izium. Now Volodia is performing combat missions in Donbas. He has more than 100 combat sorties! As a result of his work, he destroyed about a hundred enemy military vehicles and 600 personnel. I think the most important flight of his life is still ahead. I hope it will be soon - and I will find a place in this formation - we will fly over Ukrainian Sevastopol with a landing in Belbek."

"I'm very pleased," said Volodymyr Ostapenko, accepting the award, "I will be proud of this award for the rest of my life because it comes from people.

Serhii Shorov personally climbed the rocky shore of Zmiinyi Island. And planted the flag on it. His special skills as a diver allow him to do extraordinary things. However, we cannot tell you about everything yet.

Bandura player Inna Ishchenko, a representative of the Cultural Troop, and the 59th Brigade Orchestra created a solemn and sincere atmosphere in the hall, and Kolia Serha and Oleksandr Chemerov allowed their song "Infantry" to be used during the presentations of the second book " National Heroes of Ukraine. True Stories", which was recently published. But this will be a separate story.

The National Hero of Ukraine mission regularly awards medics because their work is incredible and invaluable. The FVMH abbreviation doesn't seem to need to be deciphered, since the medics of this volunteer medical service have been at war since 2014. The staff of the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital received the award, which was accepted by one of its founders, Svitlana Druzenko.

Halyna Almazova, founder of the Viterets (Wind-ed.) volunteer medical service and member of the Award Council, spoke about the work of the service: "We have always worked together. And we were not afraid to go where there was great danger. Doctors from different countries and specialists from different hospitals come to the PFVMH. They work on a voluntary basis. Once, when they once again asked to go to the red zone, I explained that such a trip could result in injury or even death of one of the crew. And I heard in response: "If we save one life, even if we die in the process, then we have done something, we have not lived in vain." Working with our unit, PFVMH doctors saved - not evacuated, not provided first aid, but saved - almost 200 fighters. We have been regularly encountering the PFVMH in various parts of the front since 2014. And when I saw Svitlana and Hennadii Druzenko in Kyiv after the full-scale offensive, ready to help, I was not even surprised."

Together with Svitlana, two PFVMH doctors accepted the award. The service founder noted: "This is both a great honor for us and a huge responsibility. During the full-scale invasion alone, our medics treated more than 29,000 wounded. On December 15, we will be 9 years old. And this award is for everyone who is in the PFVMH ranks and who gave a part of themselves and their professionalism to our service, who tried to do everything to save and transport every wounded or sick person. Now it is very important for all of us to be united. There is a strong sense of fragmentation in the country. It is sad. Because if we are divided, we will not win. And victory is still far away. That's why the front and the rear, civilians and military, all need to be together. Only together we will win."

Violetta Kirtoka, Censor.NET

Photos by Olha Kinash and Yuliia Bartle