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Illustration

Volodymyr Ivashchenko

“Yami”

7 December 2001, Kharkiv — 5 November 2022
UAL Chernivtsi, 2019–2020

In 2020, Volodymyr wrote: “I believe with all my heart in this victory that matters to us. […] Words are good, but we have to act.” And he followed through.

He graduated with honors from the Cadet Corps in Kharkiv, threw himself into sports—especially rugby—then UAL, then V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Faculty of Computer Science), a first job at an IT company—and then… the war.
In February 2022 he evacuated his family from Kharkiv and soon went back himself. “Yes, it’s scary—there’s a chance you can die—but I feel I made the right choice. […] And now that I’ve decided to return, I’m honestly happy about it. Someone told me today: you’re the first person I’ve seen smiling on the way anywhere—let alone back to Kharkiv.”
Within a week he joined the Kraken special unit, and wrote about combat and daily life in an online diary—the source of these quotes. Reflecting on his role, he said: “A scout is someone who willingly steps into the unknown and takes what comes.” It resonated with him: pioneers, discovery, being the first. “Like little Alice, who jumped down the rabbit hole.”

Volodymyr was a true romantic who found meaning in the everyday. “I’m a dreamer who wants life to be like in books and films. I love freedom. At the same time, I want to make the world better, explore everything around me, and read precise books. I may never get the answers, but I’m sure I’m on the right path.” He hitchhiked and urged others to “do what your heart says.”
“I accepted long ago that I could die. Of course I wouldn’t want to— but I’m not afraid, because I have incredible friends. […] Seeing how UAL responds to the deaths of its students, I know I won’t be forgotten if it comes to that. I’ll live on in memories. And that is an incredible driving force on the darkest days.”
The stories of students Volodymyr Ivashchenko, Dmytro Yevdokymov, Maksym Vasylyshyn, Semen Oblomei, and Ivan Pokidko have been presented at 110 exhibitions in 24 countries as part of the “Unissued Diplomas” project.
He is buried in his native Kharkiv.

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A volunteer initiative that supports defenders within the Ukrainian Leadership Academy community

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