Chess player, soldier, Hero. On September 20, 2025, in the village of Zarichne, Kramatorsk district of Donetsk region, the life of Senior Lieutenant Anton Boldyrev, commander of a mortar platoon, was cut short. He fell while defending his native land, at the age of 50.
Anton grew up in a military family. He spent his childhood in Shostka, where he completed his secondary education at School No. 2. Intelligent, diligent, and persistent, he mastered new knowledge with ease and became a student at Kharkiv Polytechnic University, specializing in “Power Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Electromechanics.” After graduation, he returned to his hometown, where he devoted nearly his entire professional life to one of the local enterprises, working first as an engineer and later as a shift supervisor. He was respected for his professionalism, integrity, and sense of responsibility.
Yet Anton’s true passion was chess. He began playing as a child and remained faithful to this game of intellect and character throughout his life. A multiple winner of local tournaments and a finalist at Ukrainian youth championships, he earned the title of Candidate Master of Sports of Ukraine in chess.
In the summer of 2022, when the great war came to his country, Anton made his defining choice—he stood to defend Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces. The man who had long been accustomed to seeing the battlefield in a chessboard now commanded a mortar platoon, where precision and composure meant the difference between life and death. His resilience, intellect, and sense of duty became a stronghold for his comrades.
He gave his life for his Homeland, making his final and greatest move—a sacrifice in the name of Ukraine. The Hero was laid to rest in his native Shostka on September 26, 2025.
Eternal memory!