Illia Sh. Akhmetharieiev

Ilya Shamilovich Akhmetgareev was born on November 28, 1990, in the village of Burkandya, Susumansky District, Magadan Region (Russia). In 2011, he graduated from the Artemivsk Pedagogical College, and in 2013 — from Berdyansk State Pedagogical University. He has been serving in the State Emergency Service since December 2021. He held the position of firefighter-rescuer at the 88th State Fire and Rescue Unit of the 8th State Fire and Rescue Squad of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Donetsk Region, holding the rank of junior sergeant of civil protection service. From childhood, Ilya was raised by his mother, who managed to raise a true man. He dedicated himself to sports and was passionate about football. He participated multiple times in city, regional, and nationwide competitions where he won prize places. His teammates remember Ilya as brave and just. The same memories about the rescuer are shared by his classmates. Since the beginning of the full-scale armed invasion of Russia into Ukraine, Ilya Akhmetgareev, as part of the crew, made over 40 trips to extinguish fires of varying complexity, participated in emergency rescue and search operations, and helped mitigate the consequences of emergencies that occurred due to intense enemy shelling in Bakhmut and the settlements of the Bakhmut district. On September 16, 2022, Ilya last arrived to help people in need. On the night of September 15, Russian troops once again struck Bakhmut with an air raid, resulting in the destruction of a multi-story residential building from the 5th to the 1st floor, with people trapped under the rubble. The Russians continued shelling the city, but rescuers, including Ilya, arrived at the scene and began searching for the victims. During the rescue operation, one of the Russian shells hit the roof of the building, causing structural elements to collapse, resulting in Ilya being trapped under the rubble and sustaining injuries incompatible with life. "He lived like a hero and died like a hero," his colleagues and friends sadly recount. Until the last minute, Ilya Akhmetgareev remained true to his oath and fulfilled the main task assigned to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine — saving people. "This is a very heavy loss for our firefighting family. He was strong, just, and kind. Ilya's dedication to his work, courage, and bravery will always serve as an example for all rescuers, and his memory will live in the hearts of all who knew him," shared his colleague Sergey Dyachenko. His mother is left without a caring son, his son without a loving father, and the family of rescuers without a reliable and professional colleague.