On August 29, the Day of Remembrance of Ukraine’s Fallen Defenders, the War Museum hosted a public gathering entitled “Giraffe” Checkpoint: Witness to the Defense of Irpin. The event brought together the city’s defenders, their families, local residents, and all those who wished to honor and remember the tragic yet heroic days of the first weeks of the full-scale russian invasion.
The central symbol of the event was the handmade Ukrainian flag that flew for nearly two years over the “Giraffe” Checkpoint. It was raised by volunteers Ruslan “Boroda” and Maksym “Moriachok” in March 2022, when the enemy attempted to break through to the capital. At the epicenter of fierce battles, this flag inspired the defenders of the vital position. Today, it has been transferred to the Museum’s collection as a testament to the heroic resistance of Ukrainian soldiers.
Petro Savka, head of the NGO Association of Irpin Defenders and a defender of the “Giraffe” Checkpoint, shared his memories of setting up the position and the coordinated actions of the volunteers. According to him, the foundation of their resilience was the combat experience of commander Oleksandr “Sevas” Tkachenko: “Sevas passed on his combat experience to us, the ‘rookies’. We learned not from books, but from his stories and his actions.”
A documentary film, “Giraffe” Checkpoint: Witness to the Defense of Irpin, has been produced about Sevas, his comrades, and the legendary flag. The film was created by producer Natalia Zinevych and the media outlet Pohlyad. At its core are the stories of defenders and the families of fallen heroes: position commander Oleksandr “Sevas” Tkachenko, soldiers Serhii Noshchenko, Oleksandr Chetverikov, Petro Savchenko, and their comrades-in-arms. “It is my mission to tell the story of those who held back the enemy on the approaches to the capital,” emphasized the author.
After the screening, a discussion took place about the strength of brotherhood, the determination of the defenders, and the pain of loss. The wives and parents of the fallen emphasized that these stories must be heard and must inspire, reminding us that heroes are ordinary people who, when the moment of decision came, chose the path of resistance.
Valentyna, the wife of the fallen commander Oleksandr Tkachenko, noted: “It is immensely valuable when a local story goes beyond the boundaries of a single city and becomes known throughout the entire country. This is how it transforms into national memory.”
Preserving the memory of the Ukrainian people’s heroic struggle for freedom and state independence is a key mission of the War Museum. News passes quickly, but memory endures and shapes the contours of our future.
