Hennadii A. Kolontaievskyi (Aivenho)

Senior Lieutenant Hennadiy Kolontayevskyi (call sign Ivanhoe) was killed on October 5, 2022, while defending his homeland from the occupiers near the village of Orlyanske in the Kharkiv region. The officer was 50 years old. Hennadiy was born in the town of Krasnokutsk in the Kharkiv region. He graduated from the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute with a degree in "Computing machines, complexes, systems, and networks." He worked in the police, retiring after years of service with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Before the war, he worked in a kindergarten as the head of the property management. In his free time, he played football. In 2015, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). During the full-scale war, Hennadiy fought for his native Kharkiv region as part of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Cossack Ataman Ivan Sirk. He was a platoon commander. "A true patriot. For me, my dad is an example of courage, strength, and wisdom. Our HERO. He would always come to help and give his last. He was dedicated to his work, did everything with integrity, and showed compassion to others. When he worked in the police, he was always honest and fair. If he saw that a person could change their life even after imprisonment, he would always help. And people thanked him later. I have always been proud of this and still am. Almost 2 years ago, I gave birth to his granddaughter. He was so looking forward to it. I have never seen such tears of joy as I did then. He had many dreams that he never realized. He didn't have time to enjoy his granddaughter's small achievements. For her, he will always be a hero, her granddad Enya. He was thrilled when he heard that. As he said, 'She is my little pride.' He wanted to travel, swim, fly, and enjoy life. He is a person with a capital letter," said the hero's daughter, Inna. The officer was buried in the cemetery of the village of Osnovyntsi in the Kharkiv region. Hennadiy is survived by his mother, brother, daughter, and granddaughter. Posthumously, Senior Lieutenant Hennadiy Kolontayevskyi was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the III degree.