Anatolii Yu. Fominykh (Foma)

Soldier Anatoliy Fominykh (call sign Foma) was killed on November 27, 2023, in the area of the village of Ivanivske in the Donetsk region. During the enemy assault, he received fatal injuries as a result of mortar shelling. The hero was forever 51 years old. Anatoliy was born in Kalinin (Russia) in a family of doctors. He had two bloods flowing in him - the hot Georgian and the ardent Ukrainian, Cossack. At the age of 4, he moved with his family to Ukraine. First to Konotop in the Sumy region, and two years later to the village of Kalyta in the Kyiv region, where he spent his childhood. He fished, picked mushrooms, and came up with all sorts of adventures, often involving others. He loved nature so much that at the age of 6 he organized a volunteer action - cleaning the environment from garbage and made adults also take care of the surrounding nature. Anatoliy loved to manage the household. After school, he graduated from a vocational school and obtained the profession of a refrigeration equipment operator. Also, in 2006, he graduated from the Kyiv College of Municipal Economy of the Academy of Municipal Management. While in a dark, enclosed room, he unexpectedly and unexpectedly experienced a mystical experience of the presence of God and since then lived as a devoted follower of Christ. He read the Bible from page to page, quoted passages from the Holy Scriptures, and during combat missions often listened to the Word of God in audio format. Anatoliy had an infinite soul. He loved literature, music, and poetry. He often quoted the poems of Vladislav Bondarkov, his favorite poet and bard, who dedicated this poem to him: This evil and good world, Or neither evil nor good, Such that every dawn In it goes beyond the horizon. And you, my friend, Were in this life without measure Always so alive, That there is no faith in death. Night. The moon is full... And such a mystery you are to me now... There is only waiting left. Anatoliy defended Ukraine since 2014. Despite the fact that he was raising 5 children, after the temporary occupation of Crimea and Donbas by the Russians, he joined the service of chaplains to provide spiritual support to the Ukrainian military. From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the man joined the ranks of the territorial defense, and then the 242nd separate battalion of the 241st separate brigade of the territorial defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among his comrades-in-arms, he enjoyed authority and respect. He risked his life more than once during the performance of combat missions. Everyone hoped for his return alive and healthy. "A father of many children, who always lovingly told about his children, showed photos. And always with pride and shining eyes he said that he has the best wife. He was a bright person, with faith in his heart, love for people and all living things. Tolya had the right to refuse, but he went to the Armed Forces as a volunteer. He could not imagine a comfortable life at a time when young Ukrainian guys were sacrificing their lives for others," his comrades note. On December 9, 2023, a farewell ceremony was held in the premises of the Kyiv church "New Life". After the service, the guard of the Armed Forces accompanied the soldier to the village of Lysovychi in the Kyiv region, where the villagers greeted them on their knees, lining the road with flowers and bowing low to the hero who always responded to requests for help. During the remembrance, one of the speakers said: "One can live one life and receive two deaths. But one can receive two lives and only one death." Anatoliy left an example of a life filled with meaning and service to people, an example of "two lives" in contrast to one death. At home, the defender was awaited by his mother, wife, and five children. The warrior was posthumously awarded the honorary badge "Combatant's Cross" and the "Cross of Freedom" medal.