On Ukraine’s Independence Day, a solemn ceremony was held in Lviv at which 34 service personnel were posthumously awarded the city’s “Honorary Badge of Saint George”. The awards were presented to the families of male and female defenders who have been defending Ukraine since 2014 and since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. This is already the 36th ceremony of this kind of commemoration organised by the city for state and national holidays.
The event began with the performance of the State Anthem of Ukraine and a minute’s silence for the fallen. After this, the Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, addressed those present, recalling the years of war and the price Ukraine is paying for freedom.
“Today and yesterday are landmark days for our state… And no words or honours will ever ease the pain in your hearts. But it is important for the community to remember each and every one who gave their life,” said Andriy Sadovyi.
The “Honorary Badge of Saint George” (posthumously) was awarded, in particular, to:
- Junior Sergeant Ostap Iskiv, a serviceman of the 33rd Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was killed in action on 7 February 2024 in the village of Hranichne, Zaporizhzhia region; the award was received by his parents, Vsevolod Petrovych and Larysa Petrivna, and his daughter, Daryna;
- Senior Soldier Hennadii Mykhalov of the 57th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade named after Koshovyi Otaman Kost Hordiienko, who gave his life on 22 February 2024 in the village of Lyman, Kharkiv region; the distinction was presented to his wife, Oksana, and daughter, Maia;
- Soldier Volodymyr Smyk of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was killed on 4 April 2024 in the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region; the award was received by his wife, Olena;
- Soldier Andrii Horbal of the 125th Separate Heavy Mechanised Brigade, who was killed on 13 April 2024 in the village of Vesele, Kharkiv region; the distinction was received by his son, Daniil;
- Senior Sergeant Oleksii Dudyk of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, who gave his life on 13 May 2024 in the village of Novoyehorivka, Donetsk region; the award was presented to his wife, Solomiia, and daughter, Anna;
- Senior Sergeant Yurii Tokariev of the 144th Separate Mechanised Brigade, who was killed on 19 May 2024 in the village of Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region; the distinction was received by his brother, Andrii;
- Junior Sergeant Volodymyr Bilogrud of the 68th Separate Airmobile Brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush, who was killed on 22 May 2024 in the village of Umanske, Donetsk region; the award was received by his wife, Oksana, and children, Mykhailo and Roksolana;
- Soldier Ihor Dubuk of the 15th Operational Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Lieutenant Bohdan Zavada “Kara-Dag” of the National Guard of Ukraine, who gave his life on 6 June 2024 in the village of Mala Tokmachka, Zaporizhzhia region; the distinction was received by his mother, Oleksandra Ivanivna;
- Sailor Vasyl Lema of the 140th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was killed on 8 June 2024 in the village of Korsunka, Kherson region; the award was received by his father, Vasyl Yosypovych;
- Soldier Andrii Pylypyshyn of the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade, who gave his life on 8 June 2024 in the village of Terny, Donetsk region; the distinction was presented to his mother, Hanna Vasylivna;
- Sergeant Yurii Chepil of the 68th Separate Airmobile Brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush, who was killed on 8 June 2024 in the village of Novoselivka Persha, Donetsk region; the award was received by his wife, Halyna, and daughter, Khrystyna;
- Soldier Taras Humenetskyi of the 77th Separate Airmobile Dnipro Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who gave his life on 11 June 2024 in the village of Berestove, Kharkiv region; the distinction was received by his wife, Lidiia;
- Soldier Volodymyr Datsyshyn of the 68th Separate Airmobile Brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush, who was killed on 11 June 2024 in the village of Novoselivka Persha, Donetsk region; the award was received by his son, Oleh;
- Senior Soldier Taras Sharan of the 111th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade, who died on 11 June 2024 in a Lviv hospital; the distinction was received by his father, Ihor Vasylovych;
- Soldier Mykhailo Shevtsov of the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade, who was killed on 12 June 2024 in the village of Nevske, Luhansk region; the award was received by his cousin, Nadiia;
- Soldier Liubomyr Khemii of military unit A4152, who died on 17 June 2024 while on active service; the distinction was received by his mother, Liubov Hryhorivna, and son, Sviatoslav;
- Sailor Petro Pryhoda of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi, who gave his life on 18 June 2024 in the village of Kruhlenke, Kursk region; the award was received by his mother, Liubov Petrivna;
- Senior Lieutenant Ihor Martyniuk of military unit A0661, who was killed on 19 June 2024 in the village of Sadky, Sumy region; the distinction was received by his parents, Volodymyr Vasylovych and Iryna Stepanivna;
- Senior Soldier Roman Yaniv of the 24th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after King Danylo, who was killed on 19 June 2024 in the settlement of Maiorsk, Donetsk region; the award was received by his father, Ihor Vasylovych;
- Soldier Stefan Lopatko of the 101st Separate Protection Brigade of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine named after Colonel General Hennadii Vorobiov, who died on 20 June 2024 in a Lviv hospital from wounds sustained in combat; the distinction was received by his wife, Sofiia, his father, Ivan Yevhenovych, and his mother, Nataliia Oleksandrivna;
- Lieutenant Roman Kohut of the 103rd Separate Territorial Defence Brigade named after Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, who gave his life on 21 June 2024 in the village of Naberezhne, Dnipropetrovsk region; the award was received by his parents, Oleksandr Vasylovych and Liliia Ihorivna;
- Senior Soldier Andrii Kurylo of the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, who was killed on 21 June 2024 in the village of Tyikhe, Kharkiv region; the distinction was received by his mother, Romana Yevstafiivna;
- Chief Sergeant Andrii Horbkovyi of the 42nd Separate Mechanised Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Valerii Hudz, who was killed on 22 June 2024 in the village of Starytsia, Kharkiv region; the award was received by his daughter, Anastasiia;
- Chief Sergeant Bohdan Kit of the 67th Separate Mechanised Brigade, who gave his life on 22 June 2024 in the village of Terny, Donetsk region; the distinction was received by his sister, Halyna;
- Senior Soldier Volodymyr Sheredko of the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was killed on 23 June 2024 in the village of Komyshivka, Donetsk region; the award was received by his wife, Mariia;
- Private Bohdan Hrynyshyn of the 24th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after King Danylo, who was killed on 25 June 2024 in the town of Zalizne, Donetsk region; the distinction was received by his mother, Hanna Stepanivna;
- Senior Lieutenant Bohdan Tepliukh of the 3rd Border Detachment named after Hero of Ukraine Colonel Yevhenii Pikus, who gave his life on 28 June 2024 in the settlement of Kurdiumivka, Donetsk region; the award was received by his mother, Olha Yaroslavivna;
- Soldier Ruslan Brianskyi of the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment, who was killed on 29 June 2024 in the locality of Okhrimivka, Kharkiv region; the distinction was received by his wife, Liubov;
- Soldier Volodymyr Dumka of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, who was killed on 1 July 2024 in the village of Novovodiane, Luhansk region; the award was received by his mother, Olha Yaroslavivna;
- Lieutenant Vasyl Palamarchuk of the 241st Separate Territorial Defence Brigade, who was killed on 3 July 2024 in the settlement of New York, Donetsk region; the distinction was received by his wife, Nataliia, and son, Vasyl;
- Soldier Yaroslav Bakai of the 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after General-Cornet Marko Bezruchko, who gave his life on 4 July 2024 in the village of Novooleksandrivka, Donetsk region; the award was received by his wife, Olha, and son, Oleh;
- Junior Sergeant Maksym Kupetskyi of the 24th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after King Danylo, who was killed on 4 July 2024 in the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region; the distinction was received by his daughters, Nadiia and Anastasiia;
- Soldier Ihor Lupii of the 4th Kharkiv Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, who was killed on 5 July 2024 in the village of Topoli, Kharkiv region; the award was received by his sister, Oksana;
- Soldier Dmytro Tkachov of the 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after General-Cornet Marko Bezruchko, who was killed on 7 June 2024 in the village of Novooleksandrivka, Donetsk region; the distinction was received by his mother, Svitlana Yehorivna.
The awards were presented by the Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi; the Head of the Western Territorial Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine, Brigadier General Yurii Dremukh; the Commander of the Air Command “West”, Brigadier General Oleh Zakharchuk; the Head of the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Brigadier General Oleksandr Rybak; and the Head of the Regional Directorate “West” of the State Special Transport Service, Colonel Oleh Mazurok.
After the presentation of the distinctions, those present honoured the memory of the fallen with a joint prayer. The prayer was led by the chaplain of the Lviv City Council, Father Andrii Sidanich.
“Thirty-five years of Independence, of which 12 years have been war. Ukraine is passing through a fire in which strong, free, independent people are being forged… And today these honorary distinctions have been received by radiant people who are already in heaven, but who continue to shape our history,” said Father Andrii Sidanich.
The ceremony took place to the musical accompaniment of the Halychyna Academic Chamber Choir, with the Honour Guard on duty.
The “Honorary Badge of Saint George” is a Lviv city award for outstanding services to the city. The distinction is in the form of a cross with a circle in the centre depicting Saint George, the patron saint of Lviv. It is awarded to residents of Lviv and to soldiers of Lviv brigades who have given their lives for Ukraine. Ceremonies are traditionally held on major state and national holidays.
The first such ceremony took place on 26 May 2023 for Heroes’ Day, when 21 service personnel were posthumously honoured. Subsequently, presentations have been held for Constitution Day of Ukraine, Flag Day, Independence Day, Defenders of Ukraine Day, Armed Forces of Ukraine Day, Unity Day, City Day, Ukrainian Statehood Day, the Day of Dignity and Freedom, Ground Forces Day, Ukrainian Volunteer Day, National Guard Day, Youth Day, the Day of Remembrance of Fallen Defenders, the anniversary of the proclamation of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic (ZUNR), and other commemorative dates.
As of this, the 36th ceremony, the “Honorary Badge of Saint George” has been posthumously conferred on 1,062 defenders. Of these, 22 are Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, 64 were killed defending Ukraine in 2014–2022, and 976 have fallen since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.