The captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Stepan Kryvoruchenko (call sign “Grass Snake”) was born on October 18, 1969, in the town of Sarny. He lived on 60 Shyroka Street, apartment №46. Stepan studied at the local secondary school № 4 where his first teacher was Olha D. Shevtsova.
In the 5th form, Nina D. Symonchuk became his homeroom teacher. His family moved to Crimea when Stepan was 12 years old. After the military service, he continued serving in Germany. Later, Stepan returned to Feodosiia where he got married and began to serve in police forces.
In August 2014, Stepan joined the Ukrainian National Guard where he trained the young fighters.
On December 19, he set out for the Zone of the Anti-terrorist Operation as a volunteer along with Azov Regiment. Stepan commanded a reconnaissance special forces unit.
As a result of the confrontation with the enemy raiding party, Stepan was ambushed. He died on February 5, 2015, near the village of Shyrokyne (according to other data – near Sahanka), Novoazovsk Raion. He left a wife and two daughters. Stepan was buried at the Rohozivske Cemetery in the town of Boryspil, Kyiv Oblast.
He was awarded the Medal For Mariupol Liberation. There is a local museum in Boryspil where there are photos of “Grass Snake”, his things as well as information about him and flag signed by his comrades.
In honor of Stepan, one of the streets in Boryspil was named after him.
According to the Presidential Executive Order № 176/2015 on March 25, 2015, Stepan Kryvoruchenko was posthumously decorated with the Third Class Order For Bravery “for valor and high professionalism demonstrated in the protection of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the oath of enlistment”.