Ihor H. Diachenko (Hopri)

Junior Sergeant Ihor Dyachenko (call sign Hopry) was killed on October 22, 2022, during a firefight with Russian occupiers near the village of Terny in Donetsk region. He was forever 53 years old. Ihor was born and lived his entire life in the city of Holapristan, Kherson region. He graduated from Simferopol State University with a degree in "Physical Education." He worked at Holapristan Lyceum No. 3, teaching physical culture and defense of the homeland. He was passionate about hunting and sports, and was a candidate for master of sports in athletics. He loved to relax in nature and enjoyed doing everything by hand. He built a gazebo and a barbecue area at home. He dreamed of crafting a mobile home and going on vacation with his family to the Carpathians. He loved animals and always took care of them, rescuing them even during the war. He brought a cat home from Izium, which now lives with the hero's family. Since 2014, he had been volunteering and helping the military. In 2015-2016, he volunteered to defend Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He fought in the Donetsk region. Despite having health issues, in 2022 he volunteered alongside his son. He joined the ranks of the 49th Separate Rifle Battalion "Carpathian Sich" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He took the call sign Hopry because he loved his native city of Holapristan. That same year, he was awarded the Mikhail Kolodzinsky Medal. "He was the most just, honest, and devoted person in the world. He was a role model for everyone who knew him. In school, he instilled a sense of patriotism and love for Ukraine in his students. His famous phrase in lessons was: 'You should be proud to be Ukrainian.' The children loved him and always thanked him for raising them to be worthy people. The war began for him not in 2022, but much earlier. For our family and all relatives and friends, he was and will always be a Hero of Ukraine. His memory will live on for centuries. He died with a weapon in his hands. Until the end, he gave orders and did not surrender. If he had known he would die that day, he would have acted the same way," said the daughter of the fallen, Tetiana. The hero was buried at the Sabariv Cemetery in Vinnytsia. Ihor was awaited home from the war by his wife Liudmyla, son Oleksandr, daughter Tetiana, mother Nina Oleksandrivna, and brother Denys.