The sculpture “Monument commemorating a student warrior” was opened at SumDU (+ video)

On September 2^nd the sculpture “Monument commemorating a student warrior” was opened at SumDU. The sculpture is set in honor of students and graduates of SumDU, who died defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The idea of sculpture installing belongs to Vladyslav Filatov, the student of Oleg Balatskyi Academic and Research Institute of Finance, Economics and Management, and Oksana Oparii, the graduate of Faculty of Electronics and Information Technologies. The project won the competition of student initiatives, which was held by the student government of SumDU, and was supported by SumDU with organization and finances.

The sculpture was officially opened by the rector of SumDU Anatoliy Vasylyev and the student rector Anastasiia Lor. “By this event we demonstrate the university's commitment to the idea of independence of our state, high patriotism of students, honor those who passed away, protecting our homeland”, - the rector said. Participants of the event honored nine students and graduates of SumDU, who died during the years of military activities in the area of Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone and Operation of United Forces, with a minute of silence.

According to Oksana Oparii, the prototype for the sculpture was Roman Atamaniuk, the graduate of SumDU, a soldier of 93^rd separate mechanized subdivision of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was killed near the Donetsk airport near the Opytne village in 2015. "We had the idea to create not a memorial for people to come to cry to, but on the contrary it will a place to come to be proud of such students."

The sculptor of the monument was Oleksii Shevchenko. He created the figure of the student in the military uniform, who sits and reads a book, as a symbol of the fact that even during the war students remember about studying. In addition, the composition of the monument includes a stele engraved "Students and graduates who died for the solidaruty of Ukraine. Glory To Ukraine, Glory To the Heroes!". The sculpture is made of composite, the support stand and the stele are granite.

The event was attended by Viktoriia Hrobova, the director of the Department of Education and Science of the Sumy Region State Administration, the Deputy Mayor for issues of activity of Council Executive Bodies Vira Motrechko, students and teachers of the university, the students of Military Training Department and the students of the "The Cadet Corps" lyceum.