Serhii V. Marienko

He cared about his family and loved life. These words are about our fellow countryman, a native of Komyshuvakha, 36-year-old junior sergeant of the 128th separate mechanized brigade, Serhiy Marienko. On January 30, 2015, he heroically died while performing his military duty in the Debaltseve area. Kind, sincere, and warm-hearted, Serhiy cared for his loved ones so much that he never admitted where he actually served. "He was an ordinary man, a good family man," says Katya, Serhiy's wife. Fate brought them together in the autumn of 2006. Together they raised their 8-year-old daughter Ulyana. He also shared his love with his older daughter — 9-year-old Oleksandra, born from his first marriage. He worked hard so that his family and children had everything they needed. Serhiy was born in Komyshuvakha but lived in Zaporizhzhia since childhood, where he studied and worked at the "Ukrgrafit" factory with his father Viktor Oleksiyovych, who is now deceased. He loved to visit his small homeland, Komyshuvakha, where his grandmother lived. Serhiy was her favorite, a caring grandson. The young man had golden hands. He was a carpenter by God. As his wife recounts, he made the kitchen furniture by hand. He also built a little house for Ulyana's fluffy pet, which he gifted to his daughter for her birthday, and a small playground near the house where the family lived, so the girl could play with the other children. Before the army, Serhiy Marienko was drafted in early August 2014, during the third wave of mobilization. He underwent combat training at the "Desna" training center near Kyiv. He was then assigned to serve in Uzhhorod and later to Eastern Ukraine. Serhiy called home almost every day, came home on leave, but never once mentioned what he had seen and experienced. He was always reserved and measured. He talked about the help from volunteers, about his friends — military comrades Bohdan Rudenko and Volodymyr Makarenko. The guys still keep in touch with Serhiy's family, remember their friend, and are amazed at how much kindness he had. He could share his last piece, carried candies in his pockets, did not eat them himself, but treated the children. On January 29, 2015, Katya spoke with Serhiy for the last time. He sent her his photo. The next day, there was no communication with him. A long 7 days of waiting, hopes, and expectations that Serhiy was alive were cut short by one phone call… On February 8, the Zaporizhzhia Hero was buried in his native Komyshuvakha. Serhiy's extraordinary kindness, his love for his family and friends, remained in the hearts of everyone who knew him. The boundless gratitude of the Hero from his fellow countrymen and all those he protected, for whom he gave his life, will be eternal… Orikhiv District Council.