Valentyn M. Zviahintsev

Valentin Mykolaiovych Zviagintsev was born on April 28, 1992, in the village of Lozuvatka, Pyatykhatskyi District, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. From 2011 to 2012, he served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After that, he joined the police and was appointed as a patrol service inspector. In 2016, he graduated from the Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs with a degree in "Law Enforcement Activities." Later, he held the position of patrol service inspector in the National Police of Ukraine and was an operational officer in the criminal police sector of the Sofiivske Police Station. From 2018, he worked as an investigator, and in 2021, he was appointed as a police officer in the prevention department of the Kryvyi Rih District Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. On February 7, 2022, after passing a competitive selection and training, Valentin became a police officer for the Sofiivska territorial community. Inna Zviagintseva, the widow of the deceased, works as an investigator in the Sofiivske Police Station of Kryvyi Rih: "Valentin was 29 years old; he did not live for 2 months until his 30th birthday. He was raising two sons – 3-year-old Klym and 9-year-old Denys. He had a father, mother, and a younger sister. His parents live in the village of Lozuvatka, Kryvyi Rih District. We met at work, at the Dovhinets Police Station in Kryvyi Rih. He was a district officer then, and I was an investigator. We immediately felt that we had common interests, fell in love, and got married. After 2 years, we had a child together, but he loved my son from my first marriage, Denys, as his own, never separating the children and raising them equally. He was interested in communicating with the older son; they had many common interests, went fishing together, and played football. He loved his family very much, worked hard so that our family would need nothing. He felt a responsibility for us, which manifested in constant care and concern. Despite often working overtime and getting tired, he dedicated all his free time to the family. He had a knack for repairing technology and could fix a mobile phone or a computer by himself. He was cheerful and had a good sense of humor. He worked as an operational officer, investigator, and district police officer, but he always wanted to be closer to people, so as soon as the opportunity arose, he passed the competitive selection, training, and became a community police officer. He wanted to be needed, to help people. He always felt injustice acutely, so it was easy for him to resolve conflict situations. He paid a lot of attention to children, gave lectures in schools, and visited kindergartens. He knew how important it was to protect children and felt a personal responsibility for the children in the community." "He was our wings," said Valentin's parents. "Valentin loved life, people, helped them, never judged anyone, and did not allow others to do so. He always tried to find a compromise, understand a person, and prevent conflict. He loved talking to locals, especially older people, learning about their needs. Many times, people in the village approached me and spoke highly of my son, praising him," recalls Tetiana Zviagintseva, Valentin's mother. "My son enjoyed studying; it came easily to him. After school, he immediately enrolled in a mining university, studied for a year but realized that this profession did not excite him. Then he took his documents and went to serve in the army. After serving, he became interested in working in the police. He initially patrolled the streets of Kryvyi Rih, then studied at the Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs, obtained a bachelor's degree, and completed his master's degree. My son always aspired to develop, improve himself, and learn something new," says his father Mykola Zviagintsev. Community police officer of Police Station No. 9 (Sofiivske) Ivan Andriukh, a colleague of the deceased: "We have known each other for a long time, since Valentin worked in the criminal investigation department. When the 'Community Police Officer' project was launched in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Valentin became seriously interested in it and decided to test himself. He felt that this job was made for him and matched his aspirations. He went through rigorous selection, studied hard, and made every effort to take this position. Valentin had a special attitude towards children and their safety. As soon as he took office, he bought children's books with his own money and distributed them to institutions without telling anyone. He was very concerned about children's safety. In winter, he checked the tires on school buses to ensure they were not worn out and the heaters were functioning, so the vehicles were technically sound and met the standards for transporting children. When he found deficiencies, he immediately raised the issue at the community session and ensured that the buses were repaired. On February 27, 2022, after the full-scale Russian invasion, Valentin was killed while performing his official duties. It is sad and painful to lose a colleague; it is an irreparable loss for the police department of the Sofiivskyi district. But the war continues; we must resist the enemy and work for the peace and safety of ordinary citizens. Valentin was a worthy police officer, did many good deeds, and had many ideas for maintaining a safe environment in the community." For personal courage and selfless actions demonstrated in defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath, Valentin Mykolaiovych Zviagintsev was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree.