The couple of Dymyd, who lost their son in the war, are an icon of our Church, bearing the burden, pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people, - Head of the UGCC

"On behalf of our entire Church, I offer my sincere condolences to Fr Mykhailo, benefactor Ivanna and the entire Dymyd and Kripyakevych family on this great loss. This priestly couple, in particular their pain in the current situation of Ukraine, is an icon of our Church, which is the core of service to its people and bears the burdens, pains and sufferings of the Ukrainian people and their youth. This heroic death shocked all the intellectual and scientific circles of Ukraine, and today, we say: heroes do not die! May the Lord accept Artemy into His arms and make his memory to be eternal!"

“Today we are asking: Lord, grant Ukraine rebirth and life!... Lord, breathe us, breathe Ukraine, so that Ukraine and its youth may live! In the midst of the sea of death, you are our source of life! God bless the children of Ukraine!” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

As RISU previously reported, on June 18, 27-year-old Artemy Dymyd was killed by a mortar fire near Donetsk.

Artemy is the son of the priest, first rector of UCU, Maidan chaplain Mykhailo Dymyd and icon painter Ivanka Kripyakevych-Dymyd.

He is a graduate of the UCU and a historian by profession, a Plast member, an active participant in the Revolution of Dignity, and served in the Special Forces Battalion "Harpoon" and the battalion "Azov". Artemy is the great-grandson of the famous historian Ivan Kripyakevych.

According to the Plast Lviv page, Artem joined the ranks of Plast at the age of 7, he was assigned to Kuren 69, named after Bohdan Khmelnitsky and was a Kuren leader and later became an instructor. He was a member of the 15th Kuren of the Order of Iron Gaff.

“He participated in regional camps: Legion, Hoverla, KVT. There was no sport in which “Chicken” did not try himself. He and adrenaline were inseparable words. His life was a total adventure. He was fond of military Plast activities, skydiving, and traveling,” Plast members say.

On the Maidan, he never lost heart while helping others think positively. He was an eyewitness to the events on Institutska street on February 20, 2014. In the spring of the same year, when the occupation of Crimea began, he went to the peninsula to strengthen pro-Ukrainian forces under the guise of buying a motorcycle. After the outbreak of hostilities in eastern Ukraine, he was enrolled at Azov. He participated in the battles in the Shyroky area. Later, he transferred to the Special Unit "Harpoon".

Having returned from the ATO, he focused on self-development and travel. He was engaged in parachuting and other extreme activities. Once, he made a motorcycle trip to Iraq. Overall, he visited more than 50 countries.

On February 24, 2022, he was in the United States, but immediately after the start of a full-scale invasion, he returned to Ukraine. In the United States, I bought a bulletproof vest and helmet and, in order not to pay for transportation on the plane, put on armor for myself. The surprised flight attendant was told that he was from Ukraine and it was safer for him. At home, I collected the rest of the equipment from the anti-terrorist operation period, took the oath of office and immediately went to the front line.

The newest hero of Ukraine will be buried on June 21 in Lviv. A Parastas service will be held on June 20 at 20:00 in the garrison church of Sts. Peter and Paul. The funeral rite is scheduled for June 21 at 11:00 in the garrison Church.

The family asks not to buy wreaths and flowers but to send the money to the Artem Dymyd Scholarship Fund, which the family is starting with the UCU. The account number and details will be shared later.