Oleksandr M. Ivaniuk (Arkhi)

Senior Lieutenant Oleksandr Ivaniuk (call sign Arkhi) died on March 26, 2022 in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. According to his comrades-in-arms, Commander Arkhi was leading his unit during a combat mission when they got lost. When the officer looked out to assess the situation, he came under heavy machine gun fire and was killed instantly. The defender was 29 years old. Oleksandr was born in the village of Birky in Volyn. After finishing school, he studied at the Lutsk Higher Vocational School of Construction and Architecture, specializing in "Construction and Design." He continued his studies at Lutsk National Technical University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in "Construction and Civil Engineering." He worked abroad for a time. For most of his life, he was engaged in farming in the village. He was interested in history, loved to cook, sing karaoke, and spend time with friends. In 2014, he joined the defense of Ukraine as part of the National Guard of Ukraine. He served in the separate special purpose detachment "Azov." During the full-scale war, he defended Mariupol. He was an officer in the personnel accounting and personnel work group. Oleksandr was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree, the President's Award "For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation," the badges "For Distinction in Service" and "War Veteran," the award of the 12th OSSP "For the Shyrokyne Operation," and commendations from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "He was a good person. He always demanded justice. He had his own opinion on everything and defended it. He valued his family and its values. He was unmarried. During his leave from service, he always returned to his native village of Birky, where he was born and wanted to settle after the war. He was courageous and always helped those in need," said his brother Anatoliy. Oleksandr is survived by his mother, two brothers, and a sister.