Mykola V. Dzydza (Norka)

Mykola Dzydza (call sign Norка) was born on July 23, 1988, in the village of Chernelytsia, Hordynka district, Ivano-Frankivsk region. He completed his secondary education here. He served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, holding the position of driver and shooter in a military unit. Thus, in 2014, without hesitation, he went to defend his homeland in Eastern Ukraine. After returning, he gained experience serving in the units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. When the full-scale Russian invasion began, in May 2022, he became one of the fighters of the special police patrol unit "Dnipro-1" of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Dnipropetrovsk region. Mykola Dzydza was killed on September 29, 2022, during the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian military in the village of Yampil, Donetsk region. His comrades tell about what Mykola Dzydza was like. The fighters of the "Safari" unit, who fought alongside Mykola to break through enemy fortifications in Donetsk region, say that it was Norка's professionalism that saved their lives. Vitaliy (call sign Stvol), commander of the 5th company of the "Safari" special forces unit, recalls his comrade's heroic deed: "On September 29, we received an order to drive the enemy out of the village of Yampil, Donetsk region. But at the location, our unit fell into an ambush. We opened fire on the enemy, and in response, the Russians began shooting at us. Mykola started firing back, which saved many lives of his comrades. Thanks to him, we were able to complete the mission and reclaim the settlement." Ruslan Pavlov, a special forces soldier of the "Safari" unit and a combat comrade of Mykola Dzydza, recalls the last day of his fallen friend: "Norка was on guard on our armored assault vehicle with a heavy machine gun. He was aiming at a grenade launcher who was firing at our column. Suddenly, we heard Mykola shout: 'Glory to Ukraine!'. Later, we realized that these were his last words — he was hit by several enemy bullets." Another colleague of the fallen, known by the call sign Syava, states that Mykola Dzydza was a true hero who did his job excellently: "He acted preemptively, which prevented the enemy from engaging in combat. This saved the lives of many of our comrades. He was a very cheerful and kind person. I shared everything with him." Mykola Dzydza is remembered by his fellow servicemen as a very good and brave person. They say he never let them down and always fulfilled what he promised. Norка could be relied upon both on the front lines and in everyday life. His comrades promised to take care of Mykola's closest ones — his wife, daughter, and son. "His children should know that their dad is a Hero, honored by the entire community and the whole Ukrainian people. Their dad performed a heroic act, and hundreds of people knelt down to thank him for it. He will forever remain in the memory not only of his family but also of the entire city and country," his comrades say. A large number of people gathered to bid farewell to Mykola Dzydza. They knelt during the procession of the mourning convoy, which traveled through the settlements of Ivano-Frankivsk region, as well as the streets of the regional center. The entire community set aside their affairs to honor the hero on his final journey. For personal bravery and selfless actions displayed in defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath, Mykola Dzydza was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree.