Family memory of war preserves a deeply personal dimension, where individual fates, trials, and victories take center stage. A vivid example of perpetuating and carrying this priceless intangible legacy through the decades is the story of the Bilinchuk–Portyak family.
The War Museum hosted a commemorative event honoring soldier Oryst "Sybiryak" Bilinchuk-Portyak of the 4th Operational Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Serhii Mykhalchuk "Rubizh", who was killed on June 10, 2025.
Oryst’s father is Vasyl Portyak, a renowned writer, screenwriter, and member of the Ukrainian Association of Cinematographers. He authored the screenplays for the films The Undefeated (2000), Cherry Nights (1992), The Company of Heroes (2004), Assassination. An Autumn Murder in Munich (1995), and many others.
Oryst’s grandfather, Vasyl Bilinchuk (whose nom de guerre “Sybiryak” he received after escaping exile in Siberia), was a machine gunner in the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) and a guard for the district leadership of the OUN (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists) Security Service. He was killed in 1952 in an ambush when his newborn son was just two months old. Vasyl’s brother, Dmytro Bilinchuk (nom de guerre “Khmara” (Cloud)), was the leader of the Kosiv District OUN leadership and was executed by NKVD officers in Lukianivka Prison in 1953. Their younger brother Mykhailo was a member of the UPA, a Soviet political prisoner, and a participant in the Norilsk Uprising.
Larysa Synkevych – the wife of Vasyl and mother of Orest – spoke about the Bilinchuk-Portyak family. Growing up, Vasyl Portyak for a long time did not know the true history of his lineage and even bore his stepfather’s surname. Only as an adult did his mother reveal the full truth to him, after which he resolved to find his family. This had a profound impact on the writer’s later life and creative work. Vasyl Portyak was among the first to address in his prose and film scripts the theme of the UPA, their struggle, and their heroism. “When our son Orest was born, Vasyl went and changed his surname to Bilinchuk-Portyak, to finally restore that connection with his father and pass this legacy on to his children,” Larysa recalled.
The theme of family memory was one of the central pillars in the Bilinchuk household. Larysa Synkevych recalls her son’s path of formation: “Orest read his father’s scripts and absorbed their spirit, patriotism, and love for Ukraine. They constantly discussed the family’s past, and when russia launched its invasion, Orest could not act otherwise than to go and defend his country.”
Yuliia Bilinchuk-Portyak spoke about her beloved husband and his service: “The fight for Ukraine was always a part of him. It began with the Revolution of Dignity and continued with volunteering. He went to the front near Debaltseve, Popasna, Ilovaisk…” Yuliia recalls. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Orest joined the local Territorial Defense Forces, later became part of the ‘Hospitallers,’ and in September 2023 took the military oath with the 4th Operational Brigade ‘Rubizh.’ As a combat medic, he saved his comrades-in-arms and was killed by the enemy while evacuating the wounded.
His wife always supported the defender, stood by his side, helped with fundraising for the unit’s needs, while he recorded videos from the front for her and dedicated poems to her.
Poet Olena Herasymiuk could not attend the memorial event but recorded a video in which she shared her brightest memories of her childhood friend Orest: “Our parents introduced us 25 years ago. As children, we ran through the corners of Podil, and even then, we knew that our friendship would last a lifetime. Later the Revolution of Dignity started. He built two barricades with his own hands and stood on the Maidan during its darkest nights. I believe it was then that a warrior was born.”
Orest’s nephew Liubomyr continued his uncle’s cause. Today, he serves in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. When asked by the event’s moderator, War Museum researcher Liubov Krupnyk, when he had made the decision to join the army, Liubomyr replied that it happened back in the eighth grade. As the defender admitted, he was deeply influenced by his grandfather Vasyl and his uncle Orest. “We grew up in a family of patriotic consciousness. I could always talk with Orest about the situation in the country, about the things that troubled me, and today I am endlessly grateful for that,” Liubomyr shared with the audience. In 2022, when he was 17, he helped build barricades and later joined the ‘Hospitallers’ as a volunteer. Liubomyr also carried on his family’s creative dynasty—he enrolled at the Kyiv National Ivan Karpovych Karpenko-Karyi Theatre, Cinema and Television University, dreaming of becoming an actor. But when it became too difficult to balance his studies and volunteering, he chose to defend Ukraine with a weapon in his hands. Liubomyr represents the fourth generation of patriots in the Bilinchuk family.
The story of the Bilinchuk–Portyak family embodies the continuity of the Ukrainian struggle—from the insurgents of the UPA to today’s warriors of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. It stands as evidence of the indomitable Ukrainian spirit, the succession of generations, and steadfast devotion to the ideals of freedom.
