Kyrylo A. Marchenko (Praid)

Marchenko Kyrylo Andriiovych was born on January 21, 1991, in the city of Snizhne, Donetsk region. He stuwas killed at school No. 7 in Snizhne. In 2003, he moved to the city of Mariupol with his family, and then entered the Donetsk Institute of Tourism Business. From childhood, he loved to play football, and during his school and student years, he participated in competitions and was a good goalkeeper. He was interested in geography, the history of the First and Second World Wars, but he loved watching football matches the most. In 2008, Kyrylo joined the fan stands of the football club "Metalurh" and since then has actively supported the team at the home stadium, as well as traveled with the team throughout the country. In 2012-2013, he had a "Golden season," which was the last full-fledged pre-war championship. According to his teammates, he was a true fan, trying to attend every away match, reaching the venue by trains and electric trains. He also traveled to root for the Ukrainian national team and in European cups. Kyrylo's callsign from his football days was "Pride," which means "proud" in English. He was one of the founders of the young football-related collective "Yunist." When the war in eastern Ukraine began in 2014, he stood up to defend his land from the occupiers. In September of the same year, he joined the ranks of the Azov battalion, where he served until 2022. In 2015, he participated in the Shyrokyne operation, storming separatist checkpoints, and fighting alongside his brother Mykola. After the start of the full-scale war, Kyrylo called his brother less often, as there was almost no communication in Mariupol due to the complete encirclement. Without fear, he told his brother that "Chechnya is resting" compared to what the Russian occupation forces were doing in Mariupol. Kyrylo Marchenko was killed on March 29, 2022, during the performance of a combat mission. He and five other comrades went to mine the road, and Kyrylo went to carry out this task voluntarily, but was killed in an air strike with the mines in his hands. For personal courage and selfless actions in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and for loyalty to the military oath, Kyrylo Andriiovych Marchenko was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, third degree.