(26.08.1975 – 03.07.2015)
Oleh Tsymoshchuk was born in a large family on September 26, 1975, in the village of Kryliv, Korets Raion, Rivne Oblast. Oleh was the youngest in the family of 8 boys. The mother, Tsymoshchuk Yevheniia worked at a collective farm.
The father, Tsymoshchuk Mykhailo, worked as a driver at Krylivka Secondary School.
From 1982 to 1992, Oleh was a pupil of Krylivska Secondary School.
The boy studied well, was a diligent pupil. After finishing school, he worked at a local collective farm, later on, owned some land, took care of his parents and disabled brother. In the village, Mykhailo was known as a good proprietor.
In 1993-1995, Mykhailo served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in the town of Dniprodzerzhynsk.
On May 6, 2015, Oleh was called up for a military service by Hoshcha Military Registration and Enlistment Office. Oleh was trained at the Military Unit of the town of Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast. He served in the military unit of the 30th Mechanized Brigade.
On July 3, 2015, Oleh was killed near the town of Artemivsk, Donetsk Oblast. In August, Oleh could have celebrated his 40th birthday.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that Oleh died from a sniper bullet. He was buried in his native village.
Published works about O. M. Tsimoshchuk
Residents of Kryliv have bidden farewell to their fellow countryman who died in a zone of antiterrorist operation
On July 6, in the village of Kryliv, a soldier, Oleg Tsimoshchuk, was accompanied to his last journey. Oleg was a child from a large family (8 children), an orphan. In August, Oleg would have been 40 years old.
Hundreds residents of the Korets district, such as relatives, friends, acquaintances, not indifferent people and servicemen, came to bid farewell to the dead and to attend a memorial service for the deceased. Farewell to the soldier occurred in St. John Zlatoust Church of the village Kryliv.
Abandoned parent’s nest
About the family of Mikhailo Lukashovich Tsimoshchuk (Tryskovyi – street name) in the late 70’s – 80’s of the XX century, fellow villagers said: “He has 8 sons, built a new house, children are dressed well, organizes a wedding for elder sons, built a house for sister, works on the collective farms, cultivates gardens at daybreak constantly and sings in a male folk choir … and how he finds time for all these.” And Mikhail Lukashovich had a response to this: “We need to sleep less, but get up early.”
Mykhailo Lukashovich and Yevgeniya Nazarovna were indeed rejoiced for their family. At that time grief seemed to be behind of the family of Tsimoshchuk . Once Yevgeniya Nazarovna remembered how much of grief she had to endure in young years: war and the post-war period. In 1946, the NKVD set fire to the house and all outside buildings because his father and uncle were members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. The family moved to his uncle’s home, but after a while, the chairman of the village council was given an order to dismantle the uncle’s house as an enemy of the people. The family had to ask to live at the neighbors. Then there was the deportation to the Kherson region, Yevgeniya Nazarovna was forced to ask for a piece of bread. But all that has passed… The parental house of Mykhailo Tsimoshchuk was a family coziness.
When elder sons lived and worked in Rivne, parents were looking forward for children’s coming home. These were really days of family holidays. Sons, in turn, were respectful to their parents. About Oleg, the son who was born on August 1975, his father said: “Let the youngest son stay at home, because it is necessary for someone to remain in the paternal court and, to care for us, parents, to death”.
From an early childhood, Oleg had a passion for land and agriculture. After graduating from the school in 1992, he began working at the collective farm of that time “May 1”. He was always a kind, obedient and polite fellow. He helped his parents with horses, relatives, neighbors, friends, acquaintance and those who need a help diligently and honestly.
Then, he served a regular military service the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After returning home, he worked again at a local collective farm, until it was disbanded.
For some time he had been working as a technician at the school in Kryliv. He had a desire, like that of his older brothers, to go to Rivne, but he could not leave his parents, as Mykhailo Lukashovich and Yevgeniya Nazarovna were of old age, and moreover his brother, Mykola, got sick seriously and parents wouldn’t be able to cope with him. Then another grief happened in his family – his brother Anatoly died.
After unsoldering of collective farmlands, Oleg began working on his own units. Parents wanted so much their son to marry but he was not destined to find a pair, though he had many friends. Years passed, Oleg took care of his parents and then buried them with honor. It was difficult for him to cope alone with his sick brother Mykola, so he sent him to a special hospital of the city of Dybno.
Therefore, that Oleg stay alone on a big paternal yard. He did a modern renovation in the house. He put the water, continued to maintain a big farm and cattle, he liked to spend time in a company of men on holidays and weekends. He usually said to his acquaintances: “I don’t really like lies and injustice…My village, fellow villagers, Ukraine are the dearest things for me.”
When Oleg got a mobilization notice on May 5, 2015, he decided to stand up for the protection of Ukraine without hesitation. Friends and relatives had been celebrating his send-off to the military for two days and when Oleg left his home, he said: “It seems to me that I have never come back home”.
Some of his friends and neighbors suggested that it would be better for Oleg to stay at home, as he was single and he needed to visit his sick brother in the hospital, and in addition to this he loved the village and the land. However, one of his brother hoped that Oleg would probably found a soul mate for himself and get married, as many people got married during the Revolution of Dignity in Kyiv.
At first, he was sent to the military unit of the city of Yavoriv, Lviv region. And in a short time – to Artemivsk on Donbass.
On July 2, Oleg called his relatives, friends, acquaintances. He told some people that he would celebrate his 40th anniversary on August 26 at home. But it wasn’t meant to be… The next day he died from a sniper bullet. It was the most terrible news for residents of Kryliv.
On the day of Oleg’s funeral of Oleg it was announced the Day of Mourning in Korets district. All the villagers accompanied Oleg to his last journey, standing on their knees.
In January this year, the session of the village council of Kryliv decided to rename the street of General Pukhov, where Oleg lived, into the street named after Oleg Tsimoshchuk.
At the school of Kryliv there is a corner of ATO soldiers, among them there is a smiling face of Oleg.
Birches and other trees, which have been planted by him and his parents, miss him. Brothers, Rostislav and Vladimir, sowed his garden near the cemetery with wheat. When Oleg went to the area of ATO, the brothers put a modern fence around the house, hoping that Oleg will come back and appreciate their gift with joy and gratitude, but it was not meant to be. However only the abandoned paternal nest left.
Vasyl CHICHA, the teacher of history at the school of Kryliv