On the Day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Museum hosted a special meeting from the Courage That Inspires series. This time, our guests were legendary defenders of the Ukrainian sky, and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were among the audience. The event was jointly organised with the Centre for Psychological Support of AFU Personnel, with the support of the Air Command “Centre” of the Air Force of Ukraine.
Colonel Liubomyr Popiuk, Deputy Commander of the Air Command “Centre”, delivered the opening remarks. He emphasised the importance of soldiers meeting real war heroes who have made a significant personal contribution to repelling the russian invasion. The meeting was moderated by Museum guide Alla Hrushetska.
The main guests of the event were two outstanding Air Force soldiers.
Major Maksym Shchoholiev is a full Cavalier of the Order for Courage. His S-300PS battalion, part of the Odesa Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, destroyed 31 Russian aircraft. They were the first ever in history to carry out a combat launch from an S-300PS air defence system. Today, Maksym Shchoholiev trains the new generation of air defence personnel at the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force.
“Paycheck” is a Hero of Ukraine, awarded the Order of the Gold Star. After graduating from the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force and mastering the MiG-29 fighter jet, he completed training in Denmark and is now successfully carrying out combat missions on this aircraft.
During the conversation the heroes recalled their mentors and brothers-in-arms who passed on them invaluable experience. They highlighted the importance of thorough preparation, continuous self-improvement, invaluable experience to help them overcome their fears, and the capacity to make decisions in critical situations.
At the end of the meeting, the participants were able to receive calendars with portraits of the heroes before a group photo session.
There were interactive stations that operated in the museum space, e.g. simulators of the Browning machine gun and the Igla MANPADS.
Our Museum remains an important place for meeting the heroes of the War for Independence. For military personnel, it is a unique chance to listen to the stories of legendary defenders first-hand and to learn more about their path and motivation. Glory to the Air Force of Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine
