Mykhailo S. Hudz

Mikhail Sergeyevich Hudzy was born on May 19, 1978, in the city of Kosiv, Ivano-Frankivsk region. Soon after, the family moved to the Ternopil region, to the village of Buhliv, from where his father was originally from. After finishing school, the young man served for 1.5 years in the National Guard of Ukraine, holding the position of a gunner. After returning from the army, Mikhail got married in 1999 and moved with his family to the village of Petrykiv, in the Ternopil district. His happiness knew no bounds when, in 2000, his son Oleg was born, followed by his son Rostislav in 2006. In 2014, after the start of hostilities in Eastern Ukraine, Mikhail, upon receiving a summons, did not hesitate for a moment and took up the defense of his homeland. He went through the hottest spots. After serving for a year, he was demobilized, but despite that, he could not remain indifferent to the events in the East and decided to join the law enforcement agencies. In August 2015, Mikhail began his service as a police officer in the 1st platoon of the special police patrol battalion "Ternopil" of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Ternopil region. Long deployments in the East alternated with duty in maintaining public order in his hometown of Ternopil. At home, his family was always eagerly waiting for him. His wife Lina tried to support her beloved in everything, and the boys were always proud of their father. "I always accepted my husband's choice. When he decided to serve in the battalion, he said briefly: this is mine, and I like it. I supported his decision," says the soldier's wife. In his free time, Mikhail tried to devote as much attention as possible to his family: he played football with the boys and helped his wife around the house. Home was his place of strength. "Lina," he always tenderly called his wife and joked that she had three Cossacks at home. The man constantly repeated that he was happy because he had everything he dreamed of: a loving wife, sons, his house, and his little garden. Mikhail rarely talked to his relatives about his time in Eastern Ukraine; he didn't want them to worry. He was always positive and said, "We will win!" Lina recalls that over the years of her husband's long trips, she developed a habit of carrying her phone everywhere to not miss a call from her beloved. To be like dad and wear epaulets — this was the decision made by Mikhail's elder son Oleg at the age of 19. After graduating from college, the young man became a police officer in the convoy service. After working for a year, in February 2021, Oleg transferred to the unit where his father served — to the "Ternopil" police company. "Dad was always an example for me. When he was in the army, I saw how brave he was, and I wanted to be like him; that's probably why I joined the police," the young man notes. Oleg says that his father never looked after him at work; they were always equal in the ranks. However, when there was a need, he helped and supported him. He always emphasized the importance of personal safety measures. In November 2021, Mikhail and his son went together for the first time as part of a combined detachment to the area of the Joint Forces Operation. On February 24, 2022, when Russia openly began a full-scale war against Ukraine, both men were serving in Ternopil. At the end of March, they set off to the East together to replace their colleagues. This trip became the last for Mikhail — on April 27, 2022, he was killed. "This mission was not like the previous ones. The shelling did not stop; everything changed very quickly: tasks, positions, deployment locations. The Russians were using all the weapons they had... We diligently continued to fulfill our duties," says son Oleg. The family's life was divided into "before" and "after" the news of Mikhail's death. His wife Lina recalls that on that day she was in the garden when her husband's colleagues arrived and informed her of his death. Until the last moment, she refused to believe it, rushed to call him, but only silence was on the line. "Every day it becomes harder and harder to realize that my Mikhail is no longer here. He won't come back, won't call, won't write, won't embrace me, won't support me when it's hard..." says the woman. Always calm and balanced, no matter what was happening around — this is how Mikhail is remembered by his colleagues and comrades. He knew how to resolve conflicts and find solutions to difficult situations. "I have known Mikhail since 2015; he came to us from the Armed Forces. I was proud to have such a subordinate; he performed his duty with dignity until his last breath," recalls the commander of the "Ternopil" company, Vitaliy Tsap. On April 30, 2022, thousands of people came to pay their respects and bid farewell to the soldier. "For eight years, the battalion served in Eastern Ukraine. They maintained public order, performed the work required by their functional duties. When the war started, the entire 'Ternopil' company went to the East; no soldier refused to fulfill his duty and defend the homeland. For this, they deserve great respect!" said the head of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Ternopil region, Oleksandr Bohomol, during the farewell ceremony. In the village of Petrykiv, where Mikhail lived, they honored the memory of the fallen by naming a street after him. For personal courage and selfless actions demonstrated in the defense of Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and loyalty to the military oath, Mikhail Sergeyevich Hudzy was posthumously awarded the "Defender of the Motherland" medal.