Ivan Lemeschuk was born on January 20, 1993, in the village of Haiky-Sytnenski, Radyvyliv Raion, Rivne Oblast. The fate did not have mercy on him:  his mother died early, and the grandmother Lidiia was bringing up a six-year-old boy.

Ivan studied at the local secondary school.  He was an optimist as well as an organizer of the school celebrations, tours, and excursions. Ivan was everywhere at the same time: in the gym, on the school yard, in the classroom. Close friends with whom he was hiking and making a fire to bake potatoes were always beside Ivan. Ivan was always the first in everything.

He studied at the Kremenets School of Forestry. Ivan served in the army and stayed in the military service on the contract basis. He was a paratrooper, a sergeant and a platoon commander of the 80th Air-mobile Brigade in the city of Lviv. A detachment, where Ivan served, repeatedly took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.  There were victories and losses, joy and tears of despair.

Ivan Lemeshchuk died on September 5, 2014, near the town of Shchastia, Luhansk Oblast, in the battle with the Russian terrorists, who made an ambush and shelled a convoy of paratroopers where Ivan served.

According to the Presidential Executive Order №311/2015 on June 4, 2015,  he was posthumously decorated with the Third Class Order For Bravery “for valor and high professionalism demonstrated in the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the military oath”.

Publications about Ivan Lemeshchuk
«We will be as flowering poppies in field»

«Darling, it`s so hard without you, I can`t  accept the fact that you`re not here, that you`ll never say «My princess, my love». You were everything for me! I love you, Vania, you`re love of all my life, I`ll always love you, and we’ll always be together!!! You are my greatest HAPPINESS!»

These words are given from the network page of Halyna, Ivan`s girlfriend from Lviv (pictured). In the same social network there is Ivan`s page, which he last visited on August 31, at 15.42; and there is already a group page of his memory…

At the end of August Ivan Lemeshchuk with other soldiers of the 80th airmobile brigade from Lviv once again went to the East of the country. Prior to that, 21- year-old paratrooper soldier, sergeant, Deputy Commander of the platoon saw a lot, he buried his friends – commander senior lieutenant Ivan Pasevich and Mikhail Stavsky who died in the East. In general, Ivan’s life was hard. When he was six his mother died; firstly, one grandmother from Radyvyliv was growing him up and then another grandmother from Haiki-Sitensky helped him. Just in this village he spent his school years. As the teachers say, he was growing honest and courageous, sincere and kind. After graduating from the 9th grade in village Sytne, he studied in the Kremenets forestry college. Then there was a conscript in the army. As a real man, Ivan made the protection of his country his work and was a contractor in the 80th airmobile brigade.

Since April, the subdivision in which Ivan Lemeschuk served, has participated in the ATO in Donbass. Paratroopers valiantly and bravely fought with the militants. There were victories and losses, joy and tears of despair.

On September 5, an hour before the cease-fire (so-called truce), the terrorists ambushed and fired on a column of paratroopers of the 80th airmobile brigade and battalion “Aidar”. As fellow soldiers told, their countryman-hero, Ivan, in the moment of enemy’s attack did not panic, took a position under the tank and began to shoot. But an enemy shell hit the tank…

Last Thursday a large funeral of Ivan Lemeshchuk happened. Young and adult residents from the surrounding villages as Radivyliv, Kremenets, Rivne, and Lviv, the militaries from Dubno, Rivne, and Lviv came to the Haiki-Sitensky to lead the brave hero-paratrooper his last way. The Chairman of the district O. Pastukh with his substitute P. Kovalchuk, Chairman of the district state administration V. Kondik with his the first substitute I. Shkholiar also laid a wreath to the hero, expressed condolences to the family of a Ukrainian patriot. Ivan Lemeshko was buried with full military honors – honorary escort, a brass band, three-volleyed salute. The road was carpeted with flowers. To pay the last tribute of respect to the fellow citizen hero many people accompanied funeral procession from Haiki-Sitensky to Sytne village, which stopped in front of the school to honour the cherished memory of a former pupil. His head master R. Voitsekhovskyi said many good words about Ivan.

The burial service of Ivan Lemeshchuk occurred in St. Dmytro church with priests` help of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchy.

Rivne military Commissar M. Tverdokhlib said a valedictory at the cemetery (he is a native of nearby village Mykhailivka). He told a real story from his life: “Once somebody called him and invited him to solve the issue with one Cossack who does not want to go to army. I came. It turned out that Ivan Lemeshchuk got a notice to army. And he wanted to serve only in landing troops; and said that only they were a real army capable to defend the state. That’s how he got into the 80th airmobile brigade, to Lviv. Then left there as a contractor. The motto of them was “Nobody but us!” Ivan Lemeshchuk faithfully served his country. He never refused to participate in the ATO. And died for all of us. For peace in our region, for peace in our country. For Kadyrov`s mercenary will never cut off people’s limbs, will never skin off tattoos from men’s bodies, will never rape our girls and women, and then will never shoot them into the heads”. And we must remember that.

Ivan Lemeschuk was single. In his last journey he was accompanied with a wedding bark and rolls, which in the end were handed out to the audience.

And I want to finish this sad story about Ivan Lemeschuk with words from the social networks: “…We will live!!! …Let poppies bloom in a field …we will fly like the birds free, …we will fall like the stars from the sky…”

Of course, no words can compensate the loss of a loved one. A beautiful story of passionate love Ivan and Galyna had to culminate in wedding. But this wedding was postponed because of Ivan`s request, from last spring to more quiet peaceful times. We wish courage for Halyna, bright and charming girl. After all, life goes on and you need to be strong to go on. And remember!

Heroes never die!

By Vasil Symerenko

 

 

 

In January 29, 2015, the commemorative plaque on the building of the secondary school in village Sytne (which Ivan Lemeschuk had finished) was introduced.

 

The monument to the fallen in the ATO paratrooper Ivan Lemeshchuk was consecrated

On the last Saturday in village Sytne, the monument devoted to Ivan Lemeshchuk (the deceased in ATO on September 5, 2014 the Sergeant of the Armed forces of Ukraine, who was also subtitude of platoon commander, squad leader of 80th separate air assault brigade) was consecrated. Relatives, friends, comrades, residents of the

community, the parents of the dead in the ATO zone soldiers Nazar Krochmal and Ivan Sova, and military commissar`s subtitude in Radyvyliv regional military commissariat O. Plevako came to honour the memory.

Consecration of the monument was made by the Radyvyliv deanery`s priests of the diocese of Rivne of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, headed by the Dean Archpriest Ihor Danyliuk.

 

According to the website of the United Krupetsk territorial community

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mother`s crying

Soul shook like wings,

that bring birds in flight

under my heart I wore you

Prayed every day for twenty years

For you, your health,

For academic success,

The war took you! Everybody is headless!

No! Don’t give up! No! No! No! No!

You were kind to neighbours

You helped, you cut and ploughed,

Oh, My God! Can you hear me,

Why did you take him?

Neighbours here and far and near,

And there`re people – thousands.

And on the last week

Your voice I heard in the night.

I won’t give you the grave!

Don’t take away! No! No! No!

I can`t experience! Unbearable!

Let hug you in a coffin.

Yevhen Hudyma 10.11.2014.  Radyvyliv

 

.

 

Bibliography

  1. Radyvylivshchyna znovu oplakuie svoikh heroiv (2014) // Surmy Radzyviliv [Rudzyvils’ Trumpets], September 12, # 36.
  2. Na Radyvylivshchyni znovu zhaloba: zahynuly Ivan Sova ta Ivan Lemeshchuk (2014) // Radyvyliv POST [Radyvyliv POST], September 12, # 37.
  3. Semerenko V. (2014). Budemo makamy kvitnuty v poli // Prapor peremohy [Victory Flag], September 19, # 37.
  4. Hudyma Ye. (2014). Rydannia materi // Surmy Radzyviliv [Rudzyvils’ Trumpets], November 14, # 45.
  5. Nahorodzheno posmertno (2015) // Surmy Radzyviliv [Rudzyvils’ Trumpets], June 12, # 23.
  6. Dmytruk V. (2015). Rokovyny svitloi pamiati heroia Ukrainy : [Lemeshchuk Ivan] // Prapor peremohy [Victory Flag], September 18, # 38.
  7. Khomiak R. (2015). Vichna pamiat voinu Ivanu (proshchalnyi lyst zahybloho Ivana Lemeshchuka, uchasnyka ATO na Skhodi Ukrainy) // Prapor peremohy [Victory Flag], September 19, # 37.
  8. Chupina O. (2015). Heroi ne vmyraiut // Prapor peremohy [Victory Flag], November 20, # 47.
  9. «Vas rodyly ne dlia voien», – napysav pislia pokhoronu v seli Mykhailivka radyvylivskyi poet // Radyvyliv.info

10.Hrupa pamiati Ivana Lemeshchuka – druha, brata, heroia // Vkontakte

  1. Ivan Lemeshchuk // Kraieznavchyi hid [blog of Radyvyliv central regional library].
  2. Imena polehlykh heroiv – na memorialnykh doshkakh // Radyvyliv.info
  3. Lemeshchuk Ivan Mykhailovych // Radyvyliv regional state administration
  4. Lemeshchuk Ivan Mykhailovych // Wikipedia
  5. Lemeshchuk Ivan Mykhailovych // Knyha pamiati polehlykh za Ukrainu [Memory Book of the Dead for Ukraine]
  6. Nahorodzhennia Ivana Lemeshchuka: [Video] // Youtube
  7. Nahorodzhennia Lemeshchuka Ivana ordenom “Za muzhnist”: [Video] // Youtube
  8. Na Radyvylivshchyni znovu zhaloba: zahynuly Ivan Sova ta Ivan Lemeshchuk // Radyvyliv.info
  9. Nashi zemliaky-heroi nahorodzheni ordenamy “Za muzhnist” // Radyvyliv.info
  10. Nikhto krim nas! Video pisni «Plyne kacha» [Foto, Video] // Radyvylivske blahochynnia Rivnenskoi yeparkhii. Ukrainska Pravoslavna Tserkva Kyivskoho Patriarkhatu
  11. Yak Rivnenshchyna proshchalasia shche z dvoma heroiamy ATO // OGO
  12. 20 sichnia 1993 r. – narodyvsia Ivan Lemeshchuk // Misto: Ternopillia, Ukraina, svit [City: Ternopil Rregion, Ukraine, world]
  13. Osviacheno pamiatnyk zahyblomu v ATO desantnyku Ivanu Lemeshchuku // Krupetska hromada [Krupets community]

 

Ivan Lemeshchuk (01.20.1993 -09.05.2014)