Serhii Yu. Blyzniuk

Sergiy Yuriyovych Blyzniuk was born on October 3, 1988, in Tolyatti (Russia). He lost his parents at an early age and was raised in an orphanage in Bucha. He did not hesitate in choosing his future profession: right after school, in 2006, he entered the Kyiv National University of Internal Affairs. After graduating, he initially worked as an inspector in the public safety sector and later as an operative in the linear department at the "Kyiv-Passenger" station. Since 2015, Sergiy held the position of senior inspector — head of the patrol service group at the "Irpin" station. A year later, he started working at the Irpin police department. Since 2021, Sergiy served as a police officer in the prevention sector of police department No. 2 of the Bucha district police department of the National Police of Ukraine in the Kyiv region. "He was a true officer — responsible, sincere, kind, persistent, and always ready to help his colleagues. He was a person with a capital letter. When the war started, he was on duty around the clock, serving alongside his colleagues," said department head Oleksandr Maloholovyi. “Sergiy helped people take shelter from shelling in the basement of the Irpin police station. He saw the anxiety and fear and did his best to calm the people, especially those with children. He would say that everything would be fine, that the police were with them and would protect them,” recalled his colleague Yana Yermolenko about the fallen officer. Police officer Sergiy Blyzniuk was killed during a shelling by Russian occupiers while saving people in Kyiv region. On March 5, 2022, the police of Kyiv region remember the events minute by minute. At that time, Russian tanks appeared in Irpin. Sergiy, along with his colleagues, organized the evacuation of civilians. A convoy of local residents' cars, escorted by police, headed towards the Romaniv Bridge — the road was dangerous as the area was being shot at by the enemy; nonetheless, it was the only way to safety. Sergiy Blyzniuk's car, along with his partner's, was moving behind the evacuation convoy. Sergiy's colleague, Ruslan Moiseev, recalls that he got out of the car to survey the area to check for any nearby Russian troops so that people could evacuate safely. At that moment, their vehicle, in which Sergiy Blyzniuk remained, was hit by enemy artillery, resulting in the car catching fire. The man could not escape... Sergiy Blyzniuk is survived by his wife Natalia and their little daughter Milana. "My beloved was so eager for the birth of our daughter that he was present at the delivery and supported me. We had a perfect family for all five years; he was everything to me — a wonderful husband and friend," Natalia recalls with tears. The woman still cannot believe that her husband is no longer by her side: "I remember Sergiy every time I look at our daughter. Milana has her father's gaze and his strong character." Police captain Sergiy Blyzniuk was posthumously awarded several honors, including the Order of Courage III degree and the title of "Honorary Citizen of the City of Irpin."