On March 22, 2023, Andriy Shcherbanivskyi lost his life while performing a combat mission. A renowned athlete and organizer of track and field and triathlon competitions, a father of three wonderful children, a reliable head of the family, a good friend, a patriot of Ukraine, and a brave fighter in the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Andriy was an exceptionally strong and unique individual. He was loved and respected by his friends. He was a hospitable host and had a very high intellect. Even the bare facts of his biography highlight the versatility of his character. Andriy Shcherbanivskyi was born on January 15, 1979, in Zelenchukska Stanitsa, Stavropol Krai (North Caucasus). In 1986, his family moved to Kyiv, settling in the Lisovyi residential area.
Andriy initially attended School 202, and later School 212. During his school years, he played handball. In high school, he took up biathlon and also participated in a radioelectronics club at the City Pioneer Palace. After graduating from school in 1995, he enrolled in the radio engineering faculty of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where he completed his higher education in 2001.
From 2001 to 2002, Andriy served in the military in the sports company of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. From 2005 until the war, he worked at the Ukrainian-Italian company “Ital-Techno.”
Andriy was a well-rounded individual, with interests far broader than those reflected in his biography. He was a fan of sports and an active lifestyle.
Since 1996, he became passionate about athletics, initially training under coach Hordiyenko and later in a group led by Konstantin and Natalia Lebediev, specializing in the demanding discipline of marathon running. He achieved dozens of successful finishes in marathon races, with a personal record of completing 42 kilometers in two and a half hours. This result demonstrated his exceptional talent as a runner.
Later, he even attempted ultramarathon distances (100 km). In 2003, he participated in a 24-hour race in the Netherlands. He also ventured into the then-exotic discipline of mountain running, competing in the European and World Championships, initially as an athlete, and later as an administrator and organizer of Ukrainian Championships. In 2013, Andriy Shcherbanivskyi co-founded the Ukrainian Skyrunning Association.
In 2005, together with like-minded individuals, Andriy Shcherbanivskyi established the first professional marathon club in Ukraine, “Taras Bulba.” Along with his fellow club members, he began organizing high-quality running events in Kyiv, where every runner could experience the festive atmosphere.
These events became a magnet for running enthusiasts from all over Ukraine. The Kyiv Rus Marathon, the Golden Gates Run, Khreshchatyk Mile, and the Slavic Marathon—these races, organized by a team of enthusiasts according to modern standards, were highly regarded in the running community. They provided a significant boost to the development of modern running culture in both Kyiv and Ukraine.
Since 2008, Andriy and his wife Olena joined the team organizing the iconic “Slavic Wave” triathlon in Pereiaslav. Thanks to the Shcherbanivskyi family, the triathlon became more systematic, high-quality, and modern. The organizational experience gained enabled Andriy to confidently assist other emerging running and triathlon projects in Ukraine.
Since 2013, Andriy Shcherbanivskyi was a member of the Run Ukraine team, organizing marathon and half-marathon races in Kyiv. During the same period, he assisted the Triatman Club in organizing duathlon and triathlon competitions. In the 2018-2019 season, Andriy helped organize the Legion Run obstacle races.
Andriy was passionate about travel, particularly to the mountains. Every year, in any season, he hiked through the Carpathian Mountains, which he considered almost like home. He knew everything about them and created tourist routes for his colleagues, slowly teaching them to love the mountains. In 2012, he conquered the proud Mount Elbrus.
In 2016, Andriy was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a year and participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation. From the very first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Andriy Shcherbanivskyi took up arms to defend his country.
On March 23, 2023, came the tragic news that on March 22, 2023, while performing a combat mission, Andriy sustained injuries incompatible with life.