Policeman from Dnipropetrovsk region Sergey Zaichenko: from the singer of the chamber choir to the defender of Ukraine
Before the war, Sergey worked as an artist of the Chamber Choir of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Philharmonic. In 2014, defense was added to his vocation to sing. He became a volunteer of the unit “Dnipro-1".
With the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the policeman again went to defend Ukraine. Under constant shelling, he serves, rescues his comrades and maintains the fighting spirit of the fighters with his songs.
“I heard an explosion and saw a wounded soldier. He grabbed the first aid kit and ran to the victim. The fighter was bleeding, it was impossible to lose a minute of time. I quickly tied him up and sent him to the hospital. Such cases in the war are not uncommon, so it is always important to be on the alert,” says Sergey Zaichenko, a fighter of the special purpose police regiment “Dnipro-1".
For him, the war began in 2014, when the Russian army invaded Donetsk region. Sergey immediately joined the ranks of the volunteer battalion “Dnipro-1". In 2014-2015, together with the 93rd Brigade and DUK “Right Sector” kept the defense in the village. Sands. They managed to hold the front line and prevent the advance of the enemy.
On February 24, with the beginning of a full-scale Russian invasion, Sergey again came to the defense of Ukraine:
“In the morning I calmly gathered my things and went to my unit. Received the task of serving at the checkpoint. We provided bandwidth, detected subversive groups and enemy informants. And all this - under constant shelling, therefore, in addition to official duties, it was a task to survive. Several times the enemy simply destroyed our post, but we gathered, quickly helped the wounded, sent them to the hospital. Then they set up the position again and continued to do their job.”
Sergey is a true patriot, but until 2014 he was not a military man. Previously, he worked as an artist of the chamber choir of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Philharmonic, even tried his hand at the show “Karaoke on the Maidan”. He remains as artistic today. Despite constant shelling, his strong and courageous voice can often be heard in the unit. With his songs, he supports the fighting spirit of his comrades, so the brothers gave him the nickname “Artist”.
“I believe that the Ukrainians will win this war. We are working on it,” says Sergey.
In 2015, by the Decree of the President of Ukraine for personal courage and heroism in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the military oath during the Russian-Ukrainian war, Sergey Zaychenko was awarded the Order “For Courage” of the III degree.
National Police of Ukraine
