On the first day of spring, the Museum hosted a profoundly warm and emotional event dedicated to the memory of the fallen defender of Ukraine, linguist, Korean language specialist, entrepreneur, and community activist Denys Antipov.
A graduate and lecturer at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Denys Antipov chose the path of a warrior despite the opportunities to focus on a career as a scholar and educator. From the beginning of the russo-Ukrainian War, he joined the ranks of the military, becoming one of the pioneers of Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance. After serving in the ATO zone (Anti-Terrorist Operation zone), Denys returned to his home Institute while simultaneously launching a veteran-owned souvenir business. Every endeavor Denys undertook led to success.
When the full-scale russian invasion began, he donned the uniform once again. In March 2022, during battles in the Kharkiv region, Lieutenant Denys Antipov, an officer of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, suffered a concussion and wounds; however, he returned to the front before fully recovering. On May 11, 2022, he gave his life in battle for Ukraine during an enemy artillery strike near the village of Dovhenke, Izium district, Kharkiv region. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class.
The event was moderated by Museum guide Alla Hrushetska. The centerpiece was the screening of the documentary film “Either Us or Them,” dedicated to Denys’s memory. The film was produced by the “Memorial” Memory Platform. We extend our gratitude to the entire team who worked on the film, especially its author, Diana Zhvinklis, for the opportunity to screen the documentary.
During the event, which was attended by over fifty people, Denys’s friends shared their memories: community activist Oleh Slabospytskyi, journalist Dmytro Doroshenko, and Yaroslav Khrapskyi, Head of the Civil-Military Cooperation Department of the 429th Unmanned Systems Brigade “Achilles”. They recalled Denys’s gifted nature, his extraordinary sense of humor, his sense of justice, and his uncompromising stance in the fight for it.
Representatives of the Institute of Philology of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv also addressed the audience: Professor Olesia Naumovska, Head of the Department of Folklore Studies; Associate Professor Natalia Isaieva, Head of the Department of the Far East and Southeast Asia Languages and Literature; and Mykhailo Kozmin, a postgraduate and former student of Denys Antipov. They remembered Denys as a man of exceptional nobility, patriotism, and a special energy that inspired everyone around him. Participants also honored the memory of other students and graduates of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv who gave their lives defending Ukraine.
Finally, we wish to sincerely thank Denys’s parents — Hennadii Antipov and Mariia Antipova — who were unable to attend the event but whose stories in the film made Denys feel close to every viewer.
