Oleh A. Kulakovskyi

Oleg Anatoliyovych Kulakovskyi was born on January 6, 1982, in the village of Kratova Hovtva, Dykanka district, Poltava region. He lived in the city of Poltava. In 2000, he was drafted for mandatory military service, after which Oleg signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine for 3 years. Later, he tried his hand at entrepreneurship, engaging in transportation across Ukraine and other European countries. After working in business, in 2020 he stated that he had wanted to become a paratrooper since childhood and it was time to pursue his dream. When Oleg Kulakovskyi first came to the military unit, the commander asked him, "Are you sure you want this?" The recruit replied that he had already made his choice. To be a paratrooper or no one at all. To live here and now and not worry about the past. To help people, to be faithful to the oath, to serve Ukraine. This is how Poltava resident Oleg Kulakovskyi lived. "Paratroopers are soldiers who are either on the front line or in training. They are very rarely at home. Oleg was noticed in service because he could do everything with his hands. He was reliable. He became the driver's assistant to the commander; they worked well together and trusted each other," his colleagues say. Oleg Kulakovskyi was a person with high moral values and dignity. He always wanted to help everyone and felt responsible for others. If a grandmother living in a nearby house needed her grass mowed, he would go and offer his help. If a playground was being built on a neighboring street, Oleg would take tools and go to help or order supplies. "He said that things should be done either the best way or not at all. He didn't like doing things halfway, and if he did something, it had to be perfect. He seldom thought about himself and hurried through life, wanting to accomplish everything. He also loved sports and started his mornings with a run," his friends recount. Since 2020, Oleg Kulakovskyi participated in the Joint Forces Operation in Donbas. He spent 9 months in the combat zone, defending positions in the village of Novoluhanske and returning home. Nothing foreshadowed trouble until the full-scale war began. Oleg Kulakovskyi was a squad commander for the supply and transportation of a mortar battery in a separate airborne assault brigade. On February 24, 2022, his convoy was ambushed in the city of Sumy while returning from training. He was one of the first to engage in battle but never learned that he would become a father again. His son Oleksii was born on October 14, on Defender of Ukraine Day. He was buried in the city of Poltava, in the Glory Alley of the Zaturynskyi cemetery. The hero is survived by his wife, four sons, parents, and sisters. Today, in honor of Oleg Kulakovskyi, a street in Poltava has been renamed from Uytniy Lane to the place where he lived with his wife and son. For his personal courage and selfless actions demonstrated in defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to his military oath, Oleg Anatoliyovych Kulakovskyi was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree.