Kremenchuk bid farewell to athlete and soldier Vadym Papirovych. A native of Khmelnytskyi, he found his final rest at the Svyshchivske cemetery in Poltava region. The hero perished in Donetsk region, halting the enemy’s advance alongside his comrades.
Vadym Papirovych was born on January 31, 1992. He was a talented footballer, raised by the MFC “Kremin” – his skill was noticed at a young age, which led to his call-up to the Ukraine U-17 national team. In 2009, he played three matches for the U-17 team during the European Championship qualifiers. At the youth level, Vadym played for BRW-VIK Volodymyr, “Kremin” Kremenchuk, and “Metallurg” Zaporizhzhia. He began his professional career in 2010, debuting for his hometown team in Khmelnytskyi. Later, he played for “Hirnyk” (Horishni Plavni), MFC “Mykolaiv”, and “Hoverla” (Uzhhorod).
When the time came to leave professional sports, Vadym did not abandon football, continuing to play at an amateur level, joining several Ukrainian teams, including “Agro” Synkiv, FC “Hlobyn”, “Nyva” Berezhany, “Dnister” Zalishchyky, “Sluch” Starokostiantyniv, FC “Dunayivtsi”, “Zorya” Khorostkiv, and “Agrobiznes” Nova Ushytsia.
Before the large-scale Russian invasion, he worked as a manager in the automotive service sector. When enemy hordes advanced towards Ukraine, Vadym joined the Ukrainian army. He underwent training in Germany for some time, then went to the front as a machine gunner. He was wounded multiple times, sustained a concussion, but after each treatment, he returned to his comrades, once again standing in defense of his homeland.
Friends recall Vadym as a person who knew how to live and loved life. He had the ability to joke, both with others and at his own expense. He was someone with whom you could talk about anything…
Vadym Papirovych’s final battle took place on October 11, 2024, near the village of New York, Bakhmut district, Donetsk region. He is survived by his parents, sister, and daughter. Vadym was 32 years old…
Eternal memory and glory to the Hero!