Kulchytskyi Serhii P

Biography of Serhiy Petrovych, prepared by a family friend of the Kulchytsky family, retired lieutenant colonel Yuriy Vavrysyuk: "Serhiy Petrovych Kulchytsky was born on December 17, 1963, in the city of Weimar (GDR), where at that time his father, Petro Ivanovych, served in the group of Soviet troops in Germany as an officer of the Armed Forces of the USSR, originally from the village of Chornokintsi in the Chortkiv district of the Ternopil region. Later, in 1967, his father was transferred to the Far Eastern Military District, so Serhiy Petrovych's childhood, along with his younger brother Ihor, was spent in military towns of various garrisons. Following in his father's footsteps (he retired with the rank of major and passed away in 2003 at the age of 79), Serhiy decided at a young age to become a military man. In 1979, after finishing the 8th grade, he submitted documents to the Ussuriysk Suvorov Military School without his parents' knowledge, graduating in 1981 and enrolling in the Far Eastern Combined Arms Command School, located in the city of Blagoveshchensk in the Amur region. He studied in a unit that trained marine officers, serving as the course sergeant throughout his studies, and received the military rank of "Sergeant Major." When Serhiy moved to the graduating, 4th course, his brother entered the Far Eastern Combined Arms Command School (Captain Ihor Petrovych Kulchytsky died prematurely from a heart attack at the age of 30 while serving in the Dnipropetrovsk region). In 1985, Serhiy Petrovych graduated from the school with honors and, having the right to choose his place of service, selected a vacancy in the Northern Fleet during the distribution. Before starting his officer service as a lieutenant in the position of commander of an assault landing platoon of the 876th separate assault landing battalion of the 61st Marine Brigade, stationed in the city of Pechenga-1 in the Murmansk region, Serhiy Petrovych got married — his chosen one and faithful companion was Nadiya Bohdanivna Drebіt, a girl he met in his native Chornokintsi and maintained a romantic relationship with for three years (Serhiy's and Nadiya's mothers were childhood friends). A diligent and proactive officer, he quickly advanced in service: from 1989 to 1991, he held the position of deputy commander for logistics — chief of logistics, from 1991 to 1992 — chief of staff — deputy commander of the 876th separate assault landing battalion of the 61st Marine Brigade. The combat equipment assigned to him was always operational. Serhiy Petrovych recounted how he personally, not hesitating to get his hands dirty, overhauled the engines of the armored personnel carriers down to the last screw. He laughed as he recalled that spare parts from the warehouse were obtained outside all norms in exchange for coupons for vodka (at that time, sugar, vodka, and some other products were distributed and sold by coupons), and the young officer did not consume alcohol… After the proclamation of Ukraine's independence in 1992, Captain Kulchytsky transferred to Ukraine. From 1992 to 1993, he served as deputy commander for combat and special training, from 1993 to 1994 — deputy commander for service — chief of staff, and from 1994 to 1995 — commander of the 14th separate battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine (military unit 1441, city of Ternopil). In 1995, he was appointed commander of the motorized rifle battalion of the 23rd separate brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine (military unit 2209, city of Simferopol), and from 1995 to 1997 — commander of the 41st separate battalion of the marine corps of the 4th separate brigade of the marine corps of the 7th division of the National Guard of Ukraine (military unit 2223, city of Feodosia). From 1997 to 1998, he served as deputy commander for combat and special training of the 24th regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine, and from 1998 to 2003 — deputy commander and commander of the 24th separate battalion of the 5th division of the National Guard of Ukraine (from December 1999 — Western Territorial Command of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, military unit 1241, city of Ivano-Frankivsk). In 2003, Colonel Kulchytsky was transferred to the internal affairs bodies, and until 2005, he held the position of deputy chief of staff — head of the operational department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. From 2005 to 2010, Serhiy Petrovych was appointed commander of the 2nd separate Galician Red Banner Brigade of the Western Territorial Command of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (military unit 3002, city of Lviv). In 2010, he graduated from the National Defense Academy of Ukraine, and from 2010 to 2012, he served as deputy head of the management of the Western Territorial Command of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Since August 2012, he has been the head of the combat and special training department of the Main Directorate of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (from April 2014 — the Main Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine). By the decree of the President of Ukraine dated August 24, 2013, Serhiy Petrovych was awarded the military rank of "Major General." In the spring of 2014, Major General Kulchytsky actively participated in the creation of the first volunteer unit formed from activists of the self-defense of Euromaidan — the 1st reserve battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine. He repeatedly emphasized to the volunteers: "I do not want to be the head of a funeral team. I do not need your heroism if you are dead. My task is to prepare you so that as many of you as possible remain alive…" Later, together with the reservists he trained, he went to the area of the anti-terrorist operation in Eastern Ukraine. A demanding and principled officer, he fully dedicated himself to his work, cared for his subordinates, and stood up for them in difficult times. From the first day, he was with his soldiers, lived in a tent, ate simple soldier's food, which he sometimes cooked himself. The life of the general, who dedicated 32 years to military service, was cut short on May 29, 2014, near the city of Sloviansk, in a helicopter shot down by separatist militants, where 11 of his comrades-in-arms perished along with Serhiy Petrovych… He was awarded Ukrainian orders — "For Courage" of the 3rd degree (May 28, 1999, "for personal courage shown during the elimination of the consequences of the flood in the Transcarpathian region, exemplary performance of official duties") and Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree (August 20, 2008, "for significant personal contribution to strengthening the defense capability and security of the Ukrainian state, impeccable performance of military and official duties, high professionalism"), medals "10 years of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," "15 years of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Soviet medals "For Distinction in Military Service" II degree, "70 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR," "For Impeccable Service" II and III degrees. He was also honored with awards from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — the Order of the Blessed Illya Muromets III degree, the Order of the "1020th Anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus"; the highest award of the Red Cross Society of Ukraine "Honorary Distinction." The name of the Hero of Ukraine, Major General Serhiy Petrovych Kulchytsky, is inscribed on one of the slabs of the memorial to fallen employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the capital's Solomianska Square and, according to the order of the commander of the National Guard of Ukraine No. 54 dated May 30, 2014, "for courage, bravery, selfless actions shown during the performance of military duty," has been permanently inscribed in the lists of the management of the 2nd separate Galician Red Banner Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. In the military town of this unit in Lviv, a bust of the Hero was solemnly opened and consecrated on May 29, 2015."