Serhii F. Ahapov

Sergeant Serhii Ahapov was killed on March 4, 2023 near the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk region. While performing his duties, he sustained fatal injuries during enemy artillery shelling. Shortly before this, on February 15, the soldier turned 53 years old. Serhii was born in the village of Preobrazhenska in Dnipropetrovsk region. He completed 9 grades of the local school. He served his mandatory military service. Then he enrolled in the Dnipropetrovsk Vocational School, specializing in "Artistic Design". He was a talented artist, a master of Petrikivka painting, and also painted portraits and landscapes not only with a brush, but also with his fingers - on paper, glass, wood, and walls. He decorated the school in Preobrazhenska and the neighboring village. He was engaged in interior painting, decorating people's houses. He was written about in newspapers more than once. In his youth, he played the ukulele in an ensemble, and the six-string guitar for himself and his friends. He was a village barber, cutting mostly men's hair. He also loved sports, particularly football. He rooted for Dnipro and Dynamo, and even played for the village team in his younger years. He worked as an art and creativity teacher in schools, was a security guard, and before the war, he joined Nova Poshta. In early April 2022, Serhii joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and went to the front. He fought as part of the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh. He was a mortar squad driver. His relatives considered him a "lucky" soldier, as there were many situations where those around him perished, but he remained unharmed. However, in the autumn near Bakhmut, he sustained a serious injury. After surgery and treatment, he was home for some time for rehabilitation. Then he returned to the front. His comrades-in-arms remember him as a very sincere, friendly, and cheerful person, the soul of the company. He was generous and shared his last. The military man was buried in his native village. Serhii is survived by his sister, relatives, friends, and comrades-in-arms.