Eight long months of hopeful silence that, unfortunately, never brought any good news. In July 2023, the life of the handball player from Vinnytsia, Serhiy Chupryna, was tragically cut short on the Zaporizhzhia front, a loss that only became known in March 2024.
He was born on July 17, 1980. From a young age, he began playing handball at the Vinnytsia Youth Sports School. The team he played for back then was exceptionally strong, filled with promising players who, in the Ukrainian Championship for their age category, finished fourth. Their impressive results allowed many players to transition to the local team “Hypanis” after graduating from the youth school. Serhiy was one of them. He played as a left back and center. The team managed to become the runner-up in the first league of Ukraine, which allowed them to advance to the higher league. However, due to financial difficulties, the team disbanded, and Serhiy began training at the higher educational institution where he studied.
Most of the handball players from the Youth Sports School enrolled at the Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, while others, including Serhiy, attended the Vinnytsia National Technical University. He studied in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and, at the same time, obtained a diploma as a physical culture and sports manager.
During his student years, Serhiy was a member of the university’s handball team, and he became the champion of the University Sports Games for higher education institutions in Vinnytsia region. He was also a player for his regional team, competing in national Spartakiads and other tournaments.
After university, Serhiy joined the army, serving in a sports company. Thanks to his efforts, a handball team was established within his military unit. He trained himself and others, and, for the first time, they participated in handball competitions and even became prize winners in the regional tournament.
After returning from the army, Serhiy worked at PrivatBank, and later, on the invitation of a teammate, moved to the Vinnytsia Food Factory. Despite his job, he always made time for handball. After his professional career, Serhiy played in the veterans’ league, serving as the team captain and winning medals in the Ukrainian Championship and other tournaments. Additionally, he actively contributed to the development of his beloved sport by organizing competitions, including an interregional veterans’ tournament in memory of Mykola Marchenko, held in the town of Khmilnyk, Vinnytsia region.
Serhiy endured more hardships than most—he suffered the loss of his young daughter and witnessed the horrors of war. In late 2022, he was drafted into the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He trained in Lviv region and was soon sent to the Zaporizhzhia front, where fierce battles with the occupiers were ongoing. On July 26, 2023, Serhiy Chupryna was killed near the village of Robotyne, though news of his death only reached his family in late March 2024. At home, his mother and younger brother waited for him until the very end…
On April 1, the hero was laid to rest in his hometown of Vinnytsia. Those who knew him since childhood, from school, sports school, university years, or work, came to bid farewell. He was a caring son, a loving brother, a faithful friend, a reliable colleague, a skilled team captain, and a brave warrior who gave his life for Ukraine and its future.