Callsign “Sokil”

The photos put on display at the 16th Den’s Photo Exhibition, which can be seen at the Lavra Gallery, include portraits of our new heroes. No previous exhibition included such photos, because the circumstances that have allowed these people to find themselves, tragic as they are, were absent in Ukraine. One photo (which, incidentally, won Den’s Golden Award on October 17) pictures a Ukrainian soldier with an open and bright look and a tattoo on his hand, consisting of Ukraine’s coat-of-arms and inscription “Freedom or Death.” This is Artur Stepanenko, callsign “Sokil” (Falcon). Photographer Serhii Kharchenko took a picture of him at a checkpoint near Sloviansk on June 10. Stepanenko was then a volunteer National Guardsman. The photo graced the front page of Den/The Day and is now participating in the photo contest. We have tracked down the soldier. “I am now instantly recognizable to a lot of people thanks to your newspaper. My workmates were very happy to see it, cut out the photo, and the director even allocated a bonus for my service in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area,” Stepanenko smiled.

The soldier’s life has entered a new stage, as he went to eastern Ukraine in mid-October with the 3rd Detached Armor Battalion “Deerslayer” as a tank commander.

Stepanenko comes from Vasylkiv, Kyiv region, and worked as an electrician at the Institute for Nuclear Research’s reactor in peacetime. He protested at Maidan in Kyiv starting on November 24. “I learned from the news that people in the capital launched a rally in support of European integration, and, as I supported it as well, went and stayed there with my friends. After the crackdown on students, we got better acquainted with each other, and I stayed in the square to the very end,” Stepanenko said.

The soldier enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the National Guard, and was sent soon to man a checkpoint two kilometers from Sloviansk, where he spent 43 days. Stepanenko recalled: “We stopped all cars and checked documentation to see if a car is stolen or carrying anything prohibited, to ensure that no enemy would slip through. For example, one man was detained because we found a handgun on him. When someone failed our check, we called the SBU [state security. – Ed.], and they took the offender away.”

While serving with the National Guard, Stepanenko was a deputy platoon leader, responsible for the lives of other men. The man admits that he had to yell at his comrades at the frontlines to make them wear helmets and body armor – at first they did not understand the need for it, but became thankful once the fighting started. “It is hard to be a commander, but it is worth it. Everything is done automatically. Most importantly, one should not allow himself to fall into the ‘first shelling stupor.’ Many people get stuck in place when getting shelled for the first time after coming to the ATO area. They should be brought out of this state, not allowed to panic,” the man stressed.

When Sloviansk was liberated from the terrorists, Stepanenko’s squad was among the first to enter the city. The man says that people welcomed the Ukrainian soldiers, and local women asked for water, so the men gave up their supplies. “Honestly, these feelings cannot be expressed in words!” Stepanenko shared his impressions.

Following the liberation of Sloviansk, the man worked at home for two months, and then was mobilized. Following a training course at the Desna Training Ground, callsign “Sokil” has gone east again. Stepanenko talked to us about his training: “We shot a little, rode a little, and recalled our battles. The National Guardsmen are volunteers, they have to learn. A lot of them have never carried a gun before. On the other hand, the Armed Forces’ soldiers have all passed their basic training, know how to shoot, are slightly better qualified in general.” The Sokil said that his brothers-in-arms were all spoiling for a fight, ready to go to the frontlines to defend their country.

Stepanenko’s shoulder tattoo features Ukraine’s coat-of-arms and inscription “Freedom or Death.” He did it even before his first tour of duty in the ATO area, as a sign of his resolution never to surrender. The soldier has been lucky to evade this fate, but a lot of his friends are now in captivity, and many of his brothers-in-arms are dead. The Sokil sighed: “The militants do not respect the truce, do not listen to anyone at all. They see themselves as heroic masters of the world and quarrel among themselves even, as they are just common bandits.”

The family tried to talk Stepanenko out of returning to the Donbas, but he felt like he could not stand by when the country was at war. “I have been brought up to respect my country, its flag, my elders, and love my country. All this came because my mother loved me. My mother sang me Ukrainian lullabies, and I visited the local community center all the time, as people celebrated traditional holidays there, like St. Andrew’s Day and Midsummer. It looks like I have fallen in love with it all,” Stepanenko smiled.

The man has not given a thought yet to his post-war life. “My only task now is to come back alive and bring my boys home as well, because I have become a squad commander. I will give you an interview on my return,” the Sokil said.