By order of the President, Taras Chaika was awarded the honorary title of Hero of Ukraine.
A mural was unveiled on the facade of the Lviv Scientific Lyceum No. 1 named after Bohdan-Ihor Antonych in memory of a former graduate of the institution, military serviceman Taras Chaika, who died in the fight against the Russian occupiers.
Taras Chayka’s relatives, government officials, lyceum students, his teachers – everyone who knew the soldier and decided to pay their respects to the defender gathered on the territory of the educational institution.
On the mural, a portrait of Taras was depicted against the background of a combat vehicle and an owl, which symbolizes intelligence in the army. The author was Andrii Bilinskyi.
It is very difficult to say goodbye to our defenders. Thanks to Heroes like Taras Chaika, we have the opportunity to stand here today, live in our own country, and speak our native Ukrainian language. Unfortunately, war and death stand side by side in this bloody struggle. Many defenders are no longer among us. Today, this struggle has touched almost every family, and we must protect our own, not allow the enemy to wipe us off the face of the earth and, as a result, overcome this evil”, – stressed the deputy head of the Lviv OVA, Ivan Sobko.
Let’s remember our Heroes, honor them, pray and pass on their memory to future generations. After all, this is a high price for our freedom and statehood.
Taras Chaika was born in February 1993. After finishing school, he entered the Lviv National University of Nature Management. In 2014, he graduated from the military department of the Petro Sahaidachny National Academy of Ground Forces and received the rank of “junior lieutenant”.
In the first days of the full-scale invasion, he volunteered to defend Ukraine. He served in the ranks of the 125th separate brigade of the TrO Forces. In April 2022, during a combat mission in the Donetsk region, the car in which Taras was traveling came under fire. The lieutenant received a shrapnel wound, but was able to direct the car in the direction opposite to the shelling. In this way, he saved the lives of his brothers.
Unfortunately, Taras Chayka died from his injuries. He was buried in Lviv at the Lychakiv cemetery. The deceased is survived by his mother, wife and daughter.