"He never stood aside" - a mother about the defender of Ukraine Bohdan Hrytsenko

Senior soldier Bohdan Hrytsenko went to the front in the first days after the start of the full-scale invasion - he was only twenty at the time. Born and raised in Voznesensk, Bohdan studied at Mykolaiv National University, Faculty of History. He served with the 188th Battalion of the 123rd Tank Brigade and received his first award for participating in the defense of Mykolaiv.

After the liberation of Kherson, Bohdan performed an extremely difficult and responsible job as a motorboat driver. Under enemy fire, he ferried ammunition across the Dnipro River and transported the wounded. In December 2023, during the evacuation of soldiers in the Krynok area of Kherson region, Bohdan was killed by mortar fire.

PHOTO provided by Bohdan's parents

PHOTO provided by Bohdan's parents

We talked to Bohdan's mother, father and sister. Their memories reveal the image of the boy - hardworking, kind, persistent and surprisingly mature beyond his years.

With this material, Intent begins a series of articles about our heroes-defenders

"Bohdan is our late child"

"Bohdan is a late child," recalls his father, Serhiy Mykolayovych, "His brother is fifteen years older than him. Like all children, he could do harm, set something on fire, but most of all he loved animals - cats and dogs.

Bohdan and Zlata the shepherd dog. PHOTO courtesy of Bohdan's parents

He even had a dog on duty. He picked it up himself, rescued it at first, and then it saved him from vipers. When we were on the Dnipro, there were a lot of snakes there. TSN even filmed a report: Bohdan was sitting in a reinforced concrete pipe and covering that dog from shelling. Later, Adele gave birth to puppies, and Bohdan took care of them. There was also a video about this - about how our soldiers protect animals.

Once a viper grabbed Bohdan's pant leg. Adel grabbed it out of the dugout and tore it open. And the second time she saved him. Even at the cemetery he has a photo with her."

Bohdan and Adel. Photo courtesy of Bohdan's parents

"At home, Bohdan had a German shepherd named Zlata," adds his father, "He used to go for walks with her a lot. Sometimes he would bring her home in his arms - she was already old and could not stand his long walks. When Bohdan died, she died six months later, and she was very sad."

Childhood: persistent, inquisitive, independent

"As a child, he was very persistent," recalls his mother, Iryna Heorhiiivna. "He brought everything to the end, loved to work. He was a leader by nature. He loved both animals and machinery: disassembling, assembling, understanding how it works. He went to classes at the station of young technicians."

With his mother. PHOTO provided by Bohdan's parents

"In the ninth grade, I bought my own backpack and equipment and said I would go to the Carpathians, and I did. He often went on foot to the Aktiv Canyon. He was very hardy. He always walked two and a half kilometers to school."

Bohdan as a child. PHOTO provided by Bohdan's parents

"For me, he was like a ray of sunshine"

"I'm many years older than my brother," says his sister, Natalia Loginovych, "I'm 43, my middle brother is 38, and Bohdan would have been 24. Because of the age difference, many people thought he was my child.

When he was a child, he was incredibly light-skinned, with curly hair, a clean face, and big brown eyes. But at the same time he had a core. From the age of ten he was selling on the street: His mom would roast seeds, and he would sell them. He could buy something in a store, add his own markup, and sell it. Stubborn, purposeful, a true leader.

And at the same time, he was very kind. My mom called him an angel. He was always smiling. He was looking for his own style: sometimes bald, sometimes with long hair, sometimes with a "Cossack" hairstyle. He was constantly developing."

With his volunteer sister and fellow soldiers. PHOTO courtesy of Bohdan's parents

First earnings and adulthood that started early

"At the age of twelve, he had already bought himself a computer," his father recalls. "He went with me to pick cherries and cherries, collected aluminum cans and scrap metal. He sold everything that could be sold."

"Then he worked at different jobs - at Nova Poshta as a loader, and at ATB on night shifts when he moved to Mykolaiv," adds his mother. "In the summer he worked as a hookah maker in Koblevo, he loved hookah. He made deliveries at Glovo. He was incredibly hardworking. We gave him a 'fishing rod' and he provided himself with 'fish'.

In the dormitory, he arranged comfort with his own hands - he didn't ask for anything."

"From the age of fifteen, he was already working because he wanted to," says his sister. "He handed out leaflets, glued up ads, worked in campaign teams, and was even a young manager of some cigarettes."

PHOTO courtesy of Bohdan's parents

The path to history

"He studied at the university to become a teacher of history and law," says his father. "At the lyceum, he opened up. He was very fond of his history teacher, Iryna Volodymyrivna, she was the soul of the team. Bodia took part in everything: parties, Olympiads, competitions. He said: "I'm going to study history, and then I'm going back to the lyceum to teach."

"He blossomed at the lyceum," his sister agrees. "He read a lot, wrote poetry. History became his true passion."

With his brother. PHOTO courtesy of Bohdan's parents

Youth, creativity, and adulthood in Mykolaiv

"When he entered the university and returned home six months later, we were amazed," his sister recalls. He started taking up photography, bought a professional camera-he earned money for it himself. He made wonderful photo shoots, even earned money together with his photographer friend. Now we have only photos and videos..."

The outbreak of war: a decision he hasn't backed down from

"He wasn't interested in politics, but he was a patriot," says his father. "On February 24, he and his friend Andriy went to look for a place to enlist. They were not accepted because of their age - 20 and 19. He told us that he was volunteering in Mykolaiv, although he was actually going to military enlistment offices. At first they were accepted to Azov, then they moved to the TRO. That's how his military career began."

"I found out by accident," says Natalia's sister. "I brought volunteer help, and then Bodia came out in uniform. At first they didn't want to take him. But he stood his ground: "No!" and came back again and again until they took him. We all asked him to return home, but in vain. He made his decision."

PHOTO provided by Bohdan's parents

About love

"He had a girlfriend, Albina," says his sister. "They broke up when she went abroad, but later they started corresponding again. He was saving money for a house in Mykolaiv and wanted to propose to her..."

Krynky. The last months

"He went on many trips to Krynky many times," says the father. "The work was extremely hard, all the guys were exhausted. But when it was time to go again, and there were no volunteers, Bohdan said: "I'll go. I'm lucky."

"The last time we spoke was on December 27," his mother recalls. "He was very tired. On the 28th, he talked to his sister - he was going on another trip. On December 29, he died...

And on December 10, he celebrated his last birthday with us. He came home late in the evening, hugged me, kissed me and said, as always: "Mom, everything is fine, I ate and put on my hat."

The driver who came back for his own

"Bodia worked as a driver: he transported soldiers and supplies across the Dnipro to the other side and back," Natalia says.

"I don't remember exactly whether it was December 26 or 27. He sent a video of himself leaving Krynky on a boat, singing the Ukrainian anthem, and at that moment a machine gun line was passing by. Then the three of us talked - me, Bohdan, and Sasha.

Bohdan told us that he was the only one who was not afraid to go back for the guys and pull them out. He was being "worked on," but all the guys came out alive, and he was very proud of that. Sasha and I begged him: "Bodiachka, please don't expose yourself to this again. This is war, not a movie." But he was in high spirits.

On December 28, he sent me his last video: the commander of the Odesa brigade gave him a new uniform - he "fitted" it for the rescued guys.

I was all emotional after that video with the boat... You know, an older sister is almost like a mother. For me, Bohdan was like a second son."

PHOTO provided by Bohdan's parents

The last day in Krynky

"On December 29, it was decided whether they would enter Krynky or not. We had an agreement: before each combat mission, he would write 'I left' and a few hours later, he would write that he had returned.

That day he did come in. I waited for two or three hours, reassuring myself with his words that everything was worked out, that they were being guided by a drone and would be covered. But on the 29th, he never got in touch.

At night, I wrote to him myself. And on the 30th, I started calling the guys. Boda and I were in touch 24/7, and I felt that something had happened.

The company commander and the guys did not answer. They already knew the truth, but they wanted to take the body first and then tell me. I started recording their voicemails, saying that as their volunteer, I had to know the truth. And then they called me."

PHOTO courtesy of Bohdan's parents

"He always helped." Mother's voice

"He is a hero," says Bohdan's mother, Iryna Heorhiyivna.

"He always helped everyone, never stood aside. My son was a great patriot, he loved Ukraine and life. We are proud of him. He is a real hero.

He could have refused when they were recruiting drivers. They asked who could swim. Someone said they couldn't. And he said: "I can." And he went.

Bohdan is our pride. We remember his unique humor. He was always cheerful and smiling. He was the chairman of the student council at the university and in the dormitory, and he took good pictures.

Rotnyi said that his room was always the most comfortable, with everything he needed at his fingertips. Bohdan was young, only twenty years old, and there were men in their 40s and 50s serving alongside him. He was the commander of a machine gunner's unit and knew how to be strict and demanding."

"I am very proud of him." Sister's words

"December 10, 2023 was his last birthday," says the sister.

"I don't know if he felt anything... But he said that he was serving primarily for us. It was important to him.

I am very proud of him. My husband is a soldier, and my brother Sanechko is also a soldier. And I am proud of our family, no matter how hard it is for us."

Антон Терехов