Farewell Held for Ukrainian Captain Roman Orishchenko
On July 9, 2025, a farewell ceremony for Ukrainian Armed Forces Captain Roman Orishchenko, commander of the second motorized infantry company of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade, took place at the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery. Orishchenko was killed on July 2 due to enemy shelling, reports 24brussels.
Following the memorial service, a mourning procession made its way to Independence Square, a location deeply significant in Orishchenko’s life. He participated in the Euromaidan protests, served on the leadership staff of the Euromaidan Self-Defense, and assisted in establishing regional branches of the movement. Family members, comrades, and residents of Kyiv attended to pay their respects.
Orishchenko was a founding member of the Ukrainian scouting organization “Plast” in Cherkasy, spanning years as an educator, instructor, and camp organizer. Since 2010, he focused on developing the Youth Bird structure in Ukraine and was instrumental in integrating equestrian scouting. Throughout the years, he held various roles, including scribe, referent, and leader of the “Traveling Knights” group.
During the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas, he supported volunteer battalions and provided them with essential humanitarian aid. After receiving military education in 2016, he voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2020. He fought in battles in Kodema, Bakhmut, and Vugledar, and sustained injuries multiple times, yet always returned to the front lines.
Aside from military service, Orishchenko was a political and civic activist. In 2015, he served as an assistant consultant to Ukrainian MP Andriy Parubiy and was among the organizers of the “Free People” network and the Resistance Movement against capitulation.
Roman Orishchenko is survived by his wife, Svitlana, his son, Andriy, who also serves in the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and his daughter, Darina.
