Serhii M. Bahulov (Lysyi)

Serhiy Mykolaiovych Bahulov was born on February 7, 1978, in Russia. When he turned 10, his family moved to the village of Salnyk in the Vinnytsia region. Here, he continued his education at the local school. Classmates recall that Serhiy was smart and kind. He also had a heightened sense of justice. Therefore, Serhiy decided he wanted to be a military man while still in school. Immediately after graduating, he enrolled in an aviation school in Vinnytsia. After his studies, Serhiy was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine and served his conscription in the city of Volodymyr-Volynskyi in the Volyn region. In 2001, Serhiy got married and moved with his family to Vinnytsia. He signed a contract and continued his service in the 8th Separate Special Purpose Regiment "Jaguar" (now the 14th Operational Brigade named after Ivan Bohun "Chervona Kalyna" of the National Guard of Ukraine). Serhiy Bahulov held positions as a squad commander, senior material support sergeant, company sergeant major, and finally, the long-awaited officer position of platoon commander. In 2014, he participated in the liberation of the Kharkiv region from separatists and Russian mercenaries. Later, he was a participant in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) and the Joint Forces Operation (JFO), fighting in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. From the first days of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Serhiy did not hesitate to defend his homeland. Initially, he fought to liberate Kyiv region. His armored vehicle was one of the first to enter Bucha. Later, Serhiy Bahulov's unit was redeployed to Donbas, where from June 5, he was stationed at the "Azot" plant in Sievierodonetsk. The fighting then moved to Lysychansk and Bilohorivka. On October 22, 2022, Serhiy's unit engaged in battle with Russian occupiers near the village of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region. During a tank shelling, he received injuries incompatible with life. He fought until the last moment, defending his comrades and his native land. The officer was buried at the Alley of Glory in Vinnytsia. Serhiy is survived by his wife Marina, elder daughter Valeriya, young son Matviy, parents, and brother. To commemorate her husband and other heroes, Marina Bahulova began collecting stories of our defenders and writing a book about the heroes buried at the Alley of Glory in Vinnytsia. In February 2023, a memorial plaque was unveiled in Vinnytsia in honor of the fallen soldier Serhiy Bahulov. A commemorative plaque was also placed on the building of the school in Salnyk, where the soldier studied. After his death, Serhiy Bahulov was posthumously awarded the rank of lieutenant. For personal courage and selflessness displayed in the defense of Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity, loyalty to the military oath, and conscientious and impeccable service to the Ukrainian people, Serhiy Mykolaiovych Bahulov was awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree (posthumously).