On Tuesday, April 16, Lviv will say goodbye to soldiers Oleksandr Kriel and Mykhailo Tomkevych, who defended Ukraine from Russian occupiers.
Lviv City Hall calls on Lviv residents and guests to join the city’s farewell ceremony and refrain from holding entertainment events and celebrations during this time.
The funeral ceremony for the defenders will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the Garrison Church of Ss. Peter and Paul, at 11:30 a city farewell ceremony will be held on Rynok Square.
Oleksandr Kryl will be buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, and Mykhailo Tomkevych will be buried in the village of Drozdovychi, Horodok district.
Biographical information on the defenders
Mykhailo Tomkevych (11.11.1971-15.04.2024) was born in the village of Drozdovychi, Lviv region.
He studied at the secondary school of Drozdovychi village. He graduated from the Vocational School №56 in Lviv. After graduation, he served in one of the radio communication training centers, and later in a military unit in Odesa.
At first, he worked at the Lviv State Plant “Lviv Association of Radio Equipment,” and during the last period he was engaged in repair work. According to his family, “he had ‘golden hands’, was extremely kind, never refused to help and always smiled.”
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he volunteered for the territorial defense and served in Lviv. Later, on his own initiative, he went to the front line. He fought against the occupiers in the “hot” spots of the front as part of the 125th separate territorial defense brigade of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was seriously wounded while performing a combat mission.
Mykhailo Tomkevych is survived by his father, wife, three children, two sisters, many friends and nephews, one of whom is defending the state on the front line.
Oleksandr Kryl (02.05.1983-06.04.2024) Was born in Benghazi, Libya, in the family of a
to a military family. When Oleksandr was two years old, his family moved to Lviv.
He studied at the secondary school #84 named after Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska. He graduated from Vocational School #53 in Lviv. Lviv.
After graduation, he worked in the transportation industry. He was an exceptionally kind person, fond of motorcycles and a skilled cook.
In 2015-2016, he served in the 24th separate mechanized brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, he voluntarily joined the 115th separate mechanized brigade of the Reserve Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend his homeland from the Russian invaders. He performed tasks to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions. He was awarded numerous decorations for personal courage. He died while evacuating his wounded comrades.
Oleksandr Kryl is survived by his mother, wife, two children, sister, nephew, godchildren, friends, cousins and extended family.