Ivan M. Makovetskyi (Mak)

Soldier Ivan Makovetsky (call sign Mak) was killed on May 18, 2022, in a battle with the occupiers near the village of Uspenivka in the Zaporizhzhia region. The warrior was 24 years old. Ivan was born in the village of Kotush in the Volyn region. He spent his childhood and school years in the village of Shchedrohir in the Ratne district. He graduated from the Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi State Pedagogical University named after Hryhorii Skovoroda with a degree in Political Science. After receiving his diploma in 2019, he was conscripted for mandatory military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He loved football very much and never missed a match. He was passionate about history. In the breaks between his studies, he worked abroad. When he was home, he spent time with friends and family and loved his nieces and nephews very much. In 2021, after demobilization, Ivan proposed to his beloved classmate Inna, who saw him off and waited for him to return from the army. In the fall of that year, the couple got married. The spouses lived in Kyiv. On February 1, 2022, the couple learned that they were expecting their first child. They were happy. However, just 23 days later, a full-scale war began. On February 24, 2022, Ivan went to the military enlistment office. In early March, he became a fighter in the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. He held the position of a shooter. He participated in battles in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. He was in constant contact with his beloved wife. “Comrades said they constantly argued with him because he would climb onto the roof of a building or a tree to catch a signal and call home. They said he taught them how to communicate with their wives and mothers, he was an example for them,” says the wife of the fallen soldier, Inna Makovetska. Ivan really wanted to have a daughter, and that's exactly what happened. A week before his death, he even chose a name for her — Ulyana. The girl was born almost 5 months later — on October 11, 2022. “He was, without exaggeration, the best husband. My universe, my sweetheart. There are only the best memories of him from everyone who knew him. He never had a bad mood, never got angry, always stayed positive and sang. Wherever he was, he was loved everywhere. He filled every space with his jokes and laughter. Vanya was the kindest person I knew, and everyone who knew him will confirm this,” adds Inna. The serviceman was buried in the village of Shchedrohir in Volyn. Ivan is survived by his mother, wife, small daughter, and sister with her family. Posthumously, soldier Ivan Makovetsky was awarded the Order of Courage III class.