Ihor Z. Hrytsiv (Did)

59-year-old soldier Ihor Hritsiv (call sign Grandfather) died on September 7, 2022, during enemy artillery shelling near the village of Bezimenne in the Mykolaiv region. That's when contact with Ihor was lost, and he was considered missing. It was only on October 30, 2023, that the relevant expert examination on the identification of the body was received. Ihor was born in the Mykolaiv region. Later, he moved to the Ivano-Frankivsk region, where he lived in the village of Pidpechery, and after getting married, in the city of Dolyna. By profession, he was a 3rd class tractor driver, a profession he obtained at the Kutsk Vocational School No. 6. Since 1980, he worked at an agricultural enterprise. In 1981-1983, he served in the military. Then he worked as an operator of thermal machines at a cotton spinning mill, and later as a transporter. Since 1985, he has been at the "Prykarpatzalizobeton" plant, where he was a specialist in major repairs, a reinforcement worker, and a plumber-fitter. Later, he became a mason-plasterer. In recent years, he worked in the construction industry, where he was valued as a highly skilled master. On March 12, 2022, after the full-scale invasion of the enemy, Ihor joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade named after the Koshovy Otaman Kostya Hordiyenko. He was an operator of the simulator of the 1st battery of anti-tank guided missiles of the anti-tank artillery division. "He was incredible. He taught me how to defend myself, and he was always very kind to everyone. Many people knew him, and they all said only good things about him. He deserves eternal honor and memory, because he himself wanted to go and defend our country. He was almost 60, but that didn't stop him. With the words 'Who, if not me, will protect my family?' he went to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We will always miss him," said the deceased's niece and goddaughter, Snizhana Falchuk. The warrior was buried in the village of Pidpechery in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Ihor is survived by his mother Anastasia, sister Iryna, wife Mariia, daughters Zoriana and Antonina with their husbands, grandchildren Ihor and Sofiia, and his niece and goddaughter Snizhana.