Roman Zubchuk was born on November 13th, 1993, in the town of Demydivka, Rivne Oblast. After finishing Demydivka Higher Vocational School № 25, he worked as a senior calisthenics coach. At the same time, Roman was a champion of the Oblastal competitions in athletics.
Later, Roman served as a seaman holding the rank of sergeant in the Ukrainian Navy in Sevastopol. From the first day of the Revolution of Dignity, he was an active participant in it. He registered in the medical service of Maidan.
Roman died on January 5th, near the village of Minkivka, Artemivsk Raion, on the way to Donetsk Oblast. It was the result of the road accident: the bus with the soldiers hit the military truck. The reason for this catastrophe was horrible weather conditions, specifically glazed frost and poor visibility.
According to the Presidential Executive Order №, 365/2015 on June 28th, 2015, Roman Zubchuk was posthumously awarded 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.”
Demydivka Raion said goodbye to Zubchuk Roman
We hoped that the pain of loss did not come to our city – Demydivka land because it is unbearable to bury the ones we love. Hoping no mother would let her kid pass away, bitter tears would not drop on the coffin covered with the blue and yellow flag, and the future will be beautiful because of our defenders fighting so fiercely. It hurts a lot knowing about a terrible car accident that took away the life of a young boy. He was someone’s best friend and brother-in-arms, a sailor of the Ukraine Navy Reserve, a militant of Maidan, and a sniper of the National Guard Special Battalion of General S. Kulchytsky. This terrible day will stay forever in the memory of those who came to lead the last way of the hero. When the funeral procession slowly walked from the hero’s home, even the sky cried, and time stopped for the moment. The photo of Roman smiling was ahead, carrying by the girls. The guard of honor, the military brass band, comrades, friends, brothers-in-arms from the Maidan carried Roman’s coffin. The whole city accompanied the hero, bending their heads in grief.
The public memorial service began where everyone could say the last farewell words to Roman. At that time, no one could hold the groaning of the half-conscious mother, the mourning of the exhausted grandmother, and the tears of the soldiers. No one did not want to realize that his life came to an end so early. And people kept coming; it seemed that farewell never ended. Relatives were praying to God to give back their beloved boy.
The Head of the Raion council S. Grach, the Romanian militants of General S. Kulchytskyi: Vadym Azarian, Mykhaylo Kondrat, and activists from Maidan, who personally knew the boy made speeches. It was clear that Roman was a man of light, kind and honest, responsible and conscious. He loved his mother, took care of his grandmother. But he passionately loved Ukraine and was ready to defend it today, tomorrow, and always. He defended its honor on the Maidan, defended its integrity and freedom in the ATO zone, voluntarily entered the ranks of the National Guard, and gave his life for the sake of it. That’s how his mother brought him up, and his grandmother cherished him. He became a worthful son of Ukraine and a true Hero for each of us.
Those who were with him side by side, defending our motherland, called him “Seaman” – who dreamt about the sea. During the Revolution of Dignity, he was a paramedic in a group called “Hell Barrel.” Sometimes his congeners had to stop him from thoughtless actions because Roman couldn’t sit still. He was in Sloviansk, in Vuglegirsk, on the Debaltsevo bridgehead, where he consulted the snipers, taught them military specialty, and was a powerful fighter and true patriot, who was constantly being drawn into battle.
Roman was buried the way he commanded: in naval form, with the Ukraine flag and many flowers. Before the departure, he had a bad premonition. The boy said the last will to his grandma Nina and the second “grandmother” Valentyna from Kyiv, who during Roman’s stay on the Maidan became like family to him. He sang as a goodbye song: “Plant a young tree of a sycamore on my grave.” The petals of carnations spread the last way of the young soldier. Over a thousand people from Demydivka land moved along the coffin to the church. Archpriest Vasyl Ivanyk, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church of the UOC, prayed for the peace of the soul of a tragically deceased warrior with the Cathedral of the priests of Demydivka’s deanery. Three shots from the Guard Honor’s guns rushed the heavens in the cemetery. Each extinguished candle symbolized life was severe pain. We bow our heads low and pray for the peace of the souls of each warrior.
