Ihor P. Svyshch (Akela)

Senior soldier Ihor Svysh (call sign Akela) was killed on November 6, 2022, during an enemy assault on positions near the village of Vodiane in Donetsk region. The life of the defender was cut short by a mortar shelling. He was just three days away from turning 49 years old. Ihor was originally from the village of Rubanivka in Kherson region. He lived in Poltava region, in the village of Korsunivka. There, he completed his schooling. He later obtained a higher education at the Poltava Pedagogical University named after Volodymyr Korolenko. He worked as a history and geography teacher at Korsunivka Gymnasium. In his free time, he enjoyed tourism. He was a participant in the Revolution of Dignity and took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). During the full-scale war, he once again took up arms without hesitation to defend his country from the enemy. Initially, he was in the Poltava Territorial Defense, and later became a fighter in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He held the position of senior shooter. He fought in Donetsk region. “A patriot, a defender, a true son of Ukraine,” noted the deceased's acquaintance Lesia Paladich. “There are people like candles—they burn out and fade into oblivion. There are people like stars—they fade, but the light they gave continues to travel through the universes of our souls, reminding everyone of themselves. Such was the history teacher of Korsunivka Gymnasium, a true patriot of Ukraine, Ihor Svysh. His sincere smile, genuine optimism, and faith in victory instilled confidence in the future. Guided by a sense of civic duty, Ihor Petrovych volunteered in 2014 to defend the territorial integrity of our state. With the onset of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, he did not hesitate to stand up for his native land. The bright image of Ihor Petrovych will forever remain in our hearts. Eternal peace and memory to the Hero,” wrote on the page of Korsunivka Gymnasium. Ihor was buried in the village of Korsunivka. At home, his mother, wife, and two children were waiting for him. Posthumously, the soldier was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.