Taras Z. Hohus

Taras Zenoviyovych Hohus was born on June 6, 1971, in the village of Zazdrist in the Ternopil district of Ternopil region. He was the sixth child in a large family. He received his general education at a local school and later continued his studies at the Ternopil Higher Professional School of Services and Tourism. After serving in the army in Dnipropetrovsk region, he decided to join the ranks of the Ternopil police. In 1991, he began working in the patrol service and later took up investigative work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Ternopil region. In 2002, Taras started his own family, and just a year later, his wife Halyna gave him the greatest happiness in life — their son Viktor. He loved his son immensely, cared for him with great paternal love, and showered him with affection and warmth. Due to life circumstances, he had to leave the police service, and Taras and his wife worked hard to provide their son with a happy childhood and future. Halyna worked during the day, while Taras took night shifts, after which he spent the whole day caring for the little one. Viktor recalls how his father instilled in him a love for all things Ukrainian from an early age: he was a patriot of his homeland and respected the Ukrainian language. He also introduced his son to volleyball. Thanks to his father's efforts, the boy was able to excel in sports, joining the second higher volleyball league and winning team championships in competitions. However, he now sees himself not on the volleyball court, but, like his father, in the police force. The 19-year-old is studying at the law faculty and wants to become an investigator. He admits that when the war started, he really wanted to serve alongside his father. But his father said, "We can't leave your mother alone; what if something happens — you will be the support and strength for the family." How he felt... A worthy example was set by Taras Hohus during the events on Maidan. When the Revolution of Dignity began, he immediately went to Kyiv to protest and express his civic position. He joined the self-defense forces, guarded barricades, and patrolled. When he returned home and learned that a special patrol police battalion "Ternopil" was being formed, he immediately decided to return to service. "How will I look my son in the eyes later when, in such difficult times, I don't go to defend my homeland?" he told his wife. In 2014, Taras Hohus first went to the turbulent East. Since then, he began continuous deployments to the ATO zone. Over 8 years of diligent service, he became an experienced fighter, receiving honorary awards and distinctions. His wife still remembers the first farewell as part of the battalion. She admits she was very worried about her husband, not knowing what awaited him there, but she cried at home so as not to pass her anxiety on to him. She says Taras always radiated positivity and knew how to calm and cheer people up. He didn't know how to complain; on the contrary, both relatives and friends turned to him for kind words and support. Little Viktor was very proud that his dad was defending Ukraine. He awaited his father's calls every day, and most of all, he looked forward to his return. No matter how difficult it was, the police officer called with good and bright news, especially for his elderly mother. He also tenderly protected her from all negativity. The woman had no idea until the last day that her son was fighting on the front lines. Despite the shelling, the fighters tried to do their utmost to help local residents survive in wartime. They delivered humanitarian aid received from Ternopil volunteers. Near the policeman's house blooms a tiny apple tree. Taras brought the sapling as a keepsake during one of his rotations to plant it by his new, much-desired home. He dreamed of his own garden and was a good host. His parents instilled in him a love for the land from childhood. Even while in the East, whenever he had the chance, he dug small plots to plant at least some greenery, treated his comrades to his borscht, and prepared traditional dishes for his combat comrades during Christmas or Easter holidays, which he had to spend far from home. He was very happy when he finally managed to buy his own home in the countryside, along with a plot of land. Before the war, they celebrated housewarming. He worked on the apartment himself, planning to invite friends to his garden, to plant vegetables, and to put up a swing by the apple tree... He was able to live in his own home for only 4 months. The life of the fighter was abruptly cut short by the hands of Russian occupiers. The April silence was shattered by an explosion: on April 27, 2022, an enemy artillery shell hit a position near the village of Zolote in Luhansk region, where Ternopil police officers were located. The terrible and unjust death destroyed all life plans, taking away from Ukraine its warrior, from an elderly mother — her son, from a wife — her husband, and from a son — his father. A person does not die. They live as long as they are remembered. The grateful memory of Taras will be preserved by all who knew him, worked alongside him, befriended him, and dreamed of a happy future in a free country. In Ternopil region, in the native village of the fallen policeman Taras Hohus, a square has been named in his honor. For personal bravery and selfless actions demonstrated in defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath, Taras Zenoviyovych Hohus was posthumously awarded the "Defender of the Fatherland" medal.