On January 28, the Star of the DPR Hero was installed in Ilovaisk to commemorate Alexei Viktorovich Zykov, a perished military who defended the independence of the Donetsk People’s Republic at the cost of his life.
According to the press service of the Young Republic Public Organization, the event was attended by Deputy Head of the YRPO MP Konstantin Komlenok, Head of the Ilovaisk City Council Ruslan Dudnikov, Chairman of the Naslediye [Heritage] All-Russian Youth Patriotic Organization Vitaly Sheremetiev, DPR People’s Council deputy Alexander Kovtyrin and Principal of the Secondary School number 13 Tatiana Shilova.
“The feat preformed and repeated by our fellows every day to defend their native land cannot be measured. They go into battle without hesitation, sometimes giving up their most valuable possession – their life. And each of them is a hero! Today we are going to eternalize the memory of one of these heroes, Alexei Zykov, and unveil a memorial plate installed in his honor. The man lives as long as his memory is alive. Therefore, our sacred duty is to preserve the memory of Alexei and remember that people like him took arms to defend their families and homes, cities and villages for the sake of our life,” Konstantin Komlenok addressed the audience.
In 2014, hostilities broke out, Ukrainian volunteer battalions attacked Ilovaisk. Alexei felt it his duty to defend his hometown. He demonstrated heroism and dedication, performing his military duty. In August 2014, Zykov was killed while performing a combat mission, covering his colleagues during a retreat near the village of Poltavskoye. He was reported missing for two years. In May 2016, he was found during the exhumation of temporarily buried soldiers near Poltavskoye village of the Amvrosiyevsky district. Zykov Alexei Viktorovich was posthumously awarded a Medal for the Defense of Ilovaisk.
Residents and guests of the town observed a minute of silence in tribute to the military and laid flowers at the memorial plate.