Serhii M. Panchenko

Sergeant Serhii Pavlichenko was killed on September 5, 2024, in a battle near the village of Zhuravka in the Donetsk region. The defender was forever 55 years old. Serhii was born in the city of Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi in the Cherkasy region. From a young age, he loved to read, and his favorite subjects in school were history, geography, and literature. He had a calm character and never got into conflicts without a need. He adored nature, loved to swim in the river, and go fishing. He often traveled to Kyiv, where he enjoyed walking through historical sites and visiting cathedrals. After finishing school, he joined the army. After serving, he went to Kyiv, as he planned to enroll in a construction institute. In the capital, he met like-minded people, with whom he began working towards Ukraine's independence. Together, they created the "Trakhtemirivskyi Kut" brotherhood, which engaged in ethnographic, historical, and reconstruction activities. In 1990-1991, they filmed the first film about the Ataman of Kholodnyi Yar, Vasyl Chuchupaka. For this, Serhii restored the ranks of the Black Zaporozhians and participated in the first Cossack march through the Cherkasy region. Serhii Pavlichenko was a member of the Kyiv Kobzar Guild and a participant in the historical club "Black Zaporozhians." He made his first bandura in 1992. It's difficult to count how many instruments he managed to make during his lifetime, but it is known that they are now preserved all over the world. Serhii's true workshop, unfortunately, did not survive, but it was full of blanks and tools. For us, it looked chaotic, but for him, everything was structured, says his daughter Liudmyla Pavlichenko. He never sought popularity in the modern sense. For him, it was important that his instruments produced the best sound and that the dumas and psalms would sound on them again, reviving the memory of authentic kobzarstvo. That's why it was strange that in his hometown, few people knew about him, while outside, he was well known among kobzars, reconstructors, and historians. Serhii only played the kobza at home when he was inspired, as he was primarily passionate about instrument-making. His favorite song was "Hey, I had a horse." He also went to church and followed all Ukrainian traditions. He loved active recreation with his family, engaged in underwater hunting, and in winter, he bathed in cold water and swam in the river in the frost. With the start of the full-scale invasion, the man joined the defense of Ukraine - first serving in the territorial defense, and then joining the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Hetman Vyhovsky. He held the position of a sniper rifleman in the 3rd platoon of the 1st motorized infantry company. He went through his entire combat path on the front line, always being in hot spots. Serhii was very inspired, he did not hide. I don't know how he passed the medical commission, because at 55 it is extremely difficult to fight, said his friend Ruslan Naida. When we went to the funeral, we recalled pleasant moments and sang his favorite songs. Serhii had a Cossack nature and went in a Cossack way. Because this is the greatest honor for a Cossack - to die in battle. The warrior was buried on the Alley of Heroes in the city of Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi. At home, a family was waiting for Serhii.