«To the last breath, Vitaliy Grytsayenko defended Mariupol»: A commemorative plaque for the Ukrainian Hero was revealed in Poltava. Photos

Today, at Poltava Secondary School No. 20, a memorial plaque was officially unveiled in honor of the Hero of Ukraine, a brave warrior, a patriot of Ukraine, and a defender of Mariupol, the brilliant military serviceman Vitaliy Grytsayenko, who gave his life in the war against the occupiers. Vitaliy Grytsayenko served as the deputy commander of a special purpose detachment "Azov" of the National Guard of Ukraine, specializing in combat and special training.

He participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) and confronted the full-scale invasion of the occupiers in Mariupol with arms in hand. His heroic deeds and successful operations will be included in textbooks. On February 27, Grytsayenko's group repelled four attempts of the enemy's marine landing and inflicted significant losses on them. On March 1, the unit completely routed the enemy column attempting to break into the city. On March 15, Senior Lieutenant Grytsayenko, together with his comrades, successfully blocked the enemy's movement, personally destroying two combat armored vehicles "Tiger."

In the night of March 19, a group of servicemen from the separate special-purpose detachment "Azov," including Senior Lieutenant Grytsayenko, carried out a successful raid behind enemy lines. A hostile command post, rear storage, ammunition depot, tank, two armored personnel carriers (BTR), and approximately a platoon of enemy infantry were destroyed. Unfortunately, he received shrapnel wounds to the face and died instantly. The soldier's body could not be retrieved from the occupied city for a long time. Only in November, thanks to DNA analysis, the Hero's body was finally returned home. He was buried at the Alley of Heroes in the central cemetery of the city.

For his personal courage and heroism in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, his loyalty to the military oath, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the "Golden Star."

The right to unveil the memorial plaque was granted to the Hero's wife, Victoria, and their young son Svyatoslav.

Olena Tereshchenko, Deputy Chief of the Memorial Work and State Awards Department of the Ministry for Veterans' Affairs of Ukraine, addressed the attendees: "A person dies twice. First, when their heart stops. Second, when their name is forgotten. Today, we open this plaque in honor of this Hero, who gave the most valuable thing he had - his life. We are indebted to our defenders. The memory of them must live forever because memory allows us to move forward. This plaque is a reminder that among us, there have always been, are, and will be people capable of action, of heroism, capable of fighting for their Homeland, their native land."

Several attendees shared their memories of the fallen warrior. Oleksiy Serdyuk, a police lieutenant colonel and head of the research laboratory at Kharkiv University of Internal Affairs where Vitaliy Grytsayenko studied, remembered the future Hero of Ukraine as a student: "Vitaliy was a student at our university. He was a member of our family. When a person grows up, they have several families: parents, school, then university, then comrades. We are proud that Vitaliy was a member of our family, and he will remain so forever, setting an example for all of us."

His classmates recalled Vitaliy Grytsayenko as a cheerful, intelligent, and patriotic young man who excelled in history and literature, defended his own opinion, and was knowledgeable about culture and the arts. They remembered a humorous exchange in the classroom when a history teacher called him "Grytsayenko" to which he replied, "I am not Grytsayenko, I am Vitaliy Mykolayovych." To Vitaliy Mykolayovych, know that you are forever in our hearts.

The speaker "Obereh" emphasized that the memory of Vitaliy would not be truly honored if Russian propaganda remained on the streets of Poltava, if children listened to Russian chansons, and if the elderly attended Moscow-aligned churches.

The comrade "Molfar" stressed that Vitaliy Grytsayenko was a person of honor, a true officer, and that he raised and trained many fighters in their unit who defended Mariupol and made history.

"Carl," another fellow soldier, recounted how despite his position as the deputy commander of the regiment, Vitaliy Grytsayenko was always on the front line, participating in the toughest battles because he could not be separated from his students, whom he taught military affairs.

Katerina Prokopenko, the wife of the commander of the Separate Special-Purpose Detachment "Azov" Denis "Redis" Prokopenko, who is currently in Turkey under the conditions of release from Russian captivity, expressed her regret for her husband's absence at the event. She remembered her husband's stories about Vitaliy's heroism and the kind of person he was.

Victoria Grytsayenko, the wife of the fallen Hero, thanked everyone who had supported her and her family during this time. She said, "Today is an important day for our family and a memorable day for all of Ukraine. We have gathered here to perpetuate the memory of my husband, father, son, comrade, friend, and a warrior who gave his life for the Motherland. He is an example to follow. He was always brave, open-hearted, sincere, and intelligent, a loving father, and a caring husband. Taking up arms, he fought for all of us to protect his family, his city, his country. He held the defense of Mariupol to the last breath. They froze, they were exhausted, but they did not lower their weapons. Their resistance became a symbol of unity and courage."

A memorial plaque will also be installed in Kharkiv University of Internal Affairs in memory of Vitaliy Grytsayenko. In Poltava, they plan to name one of the central streets in his honor.

Eternal glory to the Hero of Ukraine! Sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the warrior!