On Tuesday, 25 August, Lviv will hold funerals and citywide farewell ceremonies for four servicemen — Mykola Shehda, Nazarii Bylo, Pavlo Yakibchuk and Volodymyr Herus, who gave their lives defending Ukraine from the Russian occupiers. The city authorities are calling on Lviv residents and visitors to join the farewell and to refrain from entertainment events at this time.
The funeral service for Nazarii Bylo and Mykola Shehda will begin at 11:00 at the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. After the service, at approximately 11:30, a citywide farewell ceremony will be held on Rynok Square. Nazarii Bylo will be buried at Lychakiv Cemetery in the Field of Honour on Pasichna Street, and Mykola Shehda at Sykhiv Cemetery.
The funeral service for Pavlo Yakibchuk and Volodymyr Herus will take place at 14:00 at the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The citywide farewell ceremony on Rynok Square is scheduled for approximately 14:30. Both servicemen will be buried at Lychakiv Cemetery, in the Field of Honour on Pasichna Street.
Volodymyr Herus (23.07.1980 — 19.01.2024) was a Lviv native. He studied at Lviv Secondary Comprehensive School I–III degrees No. 44 named after Taras Shevchenko, and obtained his higher education at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, specialising in Law. He completed compulsory military service and worked at the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv Region, where he was twice awarded the “For Distinction in Service” medal. He also worked in the security services sector at Zakhid-Kholding LLC and Okhorona-Sherif PE.
According to his family, Volodymyr was cheerful, sociable, responsible and caring, a loving husband, father and son. He took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation. With the onset of the full-scale invasion, he once again joined the ranks of the defenders: he defended Ukraine in the South-Slobozhanskyi sector as part of the 125th Separate Heavy Mechanised Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and from 2023 served in the 103rd Separate Territorial Defence Brigade named after Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi. Volodymyr Herus is survived by his wife, daughter, parents and extended family.
Pavlo Yakibchuk (19.10.1971 — 19.01.2024) was born in Lviv. He graduated from Secondary Comprehensive School No. 27 in Lviv, named after Hero of the Heavenly Hundred Yurii Verbytskyi. He obtained higher education twice at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv — in Economics and in Law — and also completed military training at the university's military department.
Pavlo worked at the State Customs Service of Ukraine and later began a private law practice. His family remember him as a sensitive, courageous and patriotic man who was passionate about sport, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and was a prize-winner at European championships. He loved the Carpathians, travelling and extreme sports, and dreamed of building a canoe with his own hands. After the start of the full-scale war, he took up arms to defend Ukraine, fighting in the Donetsk and South-Slobozhanskyi sectors as part of the 103rd Separate Territorial Defence Brigade named after Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi. He was awarded the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine medals “To a Defender of Ukraine”, “Cross of the Territorial Defence Forces” and the distinction “For Valour and Loyalty”. Pavlo Yakibchuk is survived by his wife, parents, three children, grandson and nephews.
Nazarii Bylo “Freelancer” (24.06.1989 — 22.10.2024) was a Lviv native. He studied at Secondary Comprehensive School No. 23 in Lviv and later graduated from Lviv University of Trade and Economics. He worked as a merchandiser at private enterprises and later pursued independent professional activity in the field of copywriting.
According to his family, Nazarii was kind, patriotic and sociable; he loved sport, particularly football and biathlon, and was interested in copywriting, spending time in nature, animals and Ukrainian music. In 2024 he voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and defended the country in the Donetsk sector as part of military unit A4862. Nazarii Bylo is survived by his mother, father, brother, extended family and friends.
Mykola Shehda (29.12.1998 — 15.08.2026) was a Lviv native. He graduated from Secondary Comprehensive School No. 98 in Lviv and trained as a cook at the state vocational institution “Lviv Higher Vocational School of Food Technologies”. He completed compulsory military service and worked in the construction sector at private enterprises.
His family remember Mykola as kind, sincere, fair and responsible, always smiling and caring. He was passionate about parkour and loved animals, cycling, spending time in nature, travelling and mushroom picking. He was a participant in the Joint Forces Operation. In 2025 he once again took up arms to defend Ukraine, serving in the South-Slobozhanskyi sector as part of the 72nd Separate Mechanised Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was awarded the “War Veteran” medal and the “Cross of Combat Brotherhood” distinction. Mykola Shehda is survived by his parents, son, brother and extended family.