Yevhen O. Shapovalov

Yevhen Shapovalov, a defender of Mariupol, died on March 23, 2022, during the city's defense against Russian occupiers. While carrying out his duties, he fell into an ambush. The vehicle of the Ukrainian defenders was fired upon by the enemy, and due to intense shelling, his comrades were unable to retrieve the body. Yevhen would have turned 49 years old on April 29. He was born in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, and lived in Mariupol, Donetsk region. He studied at the Faculty of Banking at Mariupol State Technical University and obtained a second higher education at the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management. For many years, he worked in the tax police of Mariupol. He spent his free time with his family, loved to tend to his garden and dacha, and had plans to build a house there. He enjoyed joking, playing the guitar, and collecting coins. During the full-scale Russian invasion, he served in the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, in the 1st (Donetsk) Border Guard Unit, engaged in counterintelligence activities. From the first days of the invasion, he, along with his comrades, defended Mariupol. Yevhen was posthumously promoted to the rank of colonel and awarded the Order of Courage, 3rd degree.