Vadym V. Sheshenia

On March 10, 1984, in the Russian city of Nadym in the Tyumen region, a little boy named Vadim was born into an ordinary family. His mother, Natalia Mykolaivna, was an accountant, and his father, Valeriy Leonidovych, was a driver. A year later, the family welcomed a second child, a brother named Hlib, and Vadim, still very small, matured early, becoming independent for his age. He was very jealous of his mother, like any child, but he did not resent his brother. The boys grew up very close, doing everything together and helping each other. Their mother took care of them at home, while their father was constantly at work, laboring hard so that his little ones lacked for nothing. He was very proud of his sons and sometimes took them for rides in his big "Tatra" car. Even then, Vadim loved technology and was drawn to it in every way. The family lived in Northern Russia until the early 1990s, when they moved to the hometown of their father, in Marynske, Herson region. In 1991, Vadim and Hlib, not leaving each other, went to the 1st grade of Marynske Secondary School. Vadim grew up to be a good boy, had many friends, was clever and curious, and loved reading various encyclopedias. Even then, he began to fight for justice and did not like it when the weaker ones were insulted. Vadim loved his family very much, valued his father's opinion, and constantly hovered around him because he was interested in cars. He always helped his mother, chopping wood and tending to household chores from a very young age. He studied well in school but had no great desire to continue his education elsewhere, knowing that his calling was in technology. When he turned 17, a third child, a sister named Diana, was born into the family. Even as a young man, he helped his mother, cared for and looked after his sister, and was involved in her upbringing. In 2002, after finishing 11 grades at Marynske School, he went to the army. He served his term in the city of Kherson, in military unit 3056 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The service was not easy for him, as he sought the truth there, which no one liked. In May 2004, Vadim returned home after his demobilization, to his native village, no longer the boy his family had seen off, but a strong and determined man. He immediately went to work at the collective farm "Trud," not wanting to be a burden to his parents at home. Later, he got a job as a driver at the "Sit-Rein" company, which was located in his village. In early 2005, he met a girl named Tanya, a resident of the district center. The young people immediately liked each other and began dating, which eventually led to the formation of a young family. Vadim and Tanya dated for 3.5 years; he did not want to interfere with Tanya's studies, and in September 2008, the couple got married. They decided to live in the district center, where Tanya worked as an engineer in the water management department, while Vadim got a job as a driver of a local bus and later joined the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the town of Hornostayivka, where he was a fire truck driver. He enjoyed working in the Ministry of Emergency Situations and performed his duties skillfully. The management always valued him as a colleague and simply a good friend because he helped everyone in need and held the rank of sergeant. Always positive, emotional, cheerful, and responsible—this is how his friends from the fire station remember him. In 2010, Vadim became a father; his daughter Dasha was born, whom he and Tanya had been eagerly waiting for. He handled the child skillfully, loved her very much, and always spoiled her. Dasha resembled her father, being just as dark-skinned, with dark little eyes and a strong character; she adored her father and loved to ride in the car with him. Vadim spent all his free time with his family. He was not only a caring father but also a reliable husband. He always cared about the problems of his relatives and loved ones. He and Tanya lived harmoniously; he was a dependable and loving husband, and they did everything together. It was never a problem for him to help his wife with household chores or look after the child, especially since he always entertained her more interestingly than her mother. Vadim was of medium height, sturdy build, had expressive eyes, a straight nose, and always kept his hair very short. By profession and in life, he was a driver, always in a car, always on the road, and did not like to sit in one place for long. He was fond of fishing. Sometimes, in the evening, he would pack his fishing bag, kiss his wife good morning, whisper in her ear, "I'm going fishing," and leave… He always returned with a catch. There was no limit to his joy as he recounted his fishing adventures, proud of being a skilled fisherman. Vadim loved cars very much, enjoyed speed, and dreamed of buying a nice car to take his whole family on vacation in the mountains. He also very much wanted a son, and in January 2014, they welcomed a boy named Sashko. The happy father took care of 3-year-old Dasha at home and visited his wife and son in the hospital every day, eagerly awaiting their return home. With the arrival of his son, Vadim felt a triple responsibility in his family. He was sure that his son would be a good continuation of his father, just as strong, brave, and courageous, and would protect his sister Dasha. He envisioned his son as a future athlete, saying, "Let him grow up to be a good person, loving his mother, father, and sister." At that time, the country was experiencing very turbulent events; he always worried about the future while watching the news. He felt uneasy in his soul, perhaps sensing even then, in the winter, that something terrible would happen… The first wave of mobilization began in the country, and Vadim also received a summons on March 29, 2014, to appear at the district military enlistment office. Tanya stayed home with their two small children, worried about her husband, knowing his hot-tempered nature and passionate heart. He was assigned to a military unit of air defense in the city of Kherson, and thus began their months of separation, such happy moments of reunion, and such painful and burning moments of parting. The service went smoothly, but Vadim could not sit still for long. Together with his comrades from the same military unit, he thought about transferring to special forces, believing that he needed to defend his homeland after analyzing the events in the country. His wife did not support his intentions and tried to convince him not to go far from home, but he made his decision, so her task was to take care of the children and wait for his return home. In early September 2014, the issue of Vadim's transfer to the 3rd Separate Special Purpose Regiment in Kirovohrad was resolved. There, his training and constant exercises in tactics and shooting began, and their security company was later sent to Eastern Ukraine, where a real war had broken out, to defend Donetsk airport…