A Book About Hero of Ukraine Andrii Soroka Presented in Vinnytsia Region

A book by Zhanna Dmytrenko about Hero of Ukraine Andrii Soroka was presented in Vinnytsia region, bringing together memories of his life, service, and sacrifice.

A book by Zhanna Dmytrenko, Andrii Soroka (“Soroket”). Hero of Ukraine from Hnivan, was presented at Hnivan Lyceum No. 1 in the Vinnytsia region. The book is dedicated to a graduate of the school who was killed in the war at the age of 27. It brings together memories of his life and military service shared by his family, friends, teachers, and fellow service members.

According to Suspilne, this was reported on November 4 on the Hnivan City Council’s Facebook page.

Andrii Soroka was born on August 29, 1995. He studied at Hnivan School No. 1 and later graduated from the National Academy of Internal Affairs.

At the age of 18, he signed a contract and began serving in the 40th Colonel Danylo Nechay Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine in Vinnytsia. Since 2014, he had taken part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) and the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in eastern Ukraine. Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he continued to defend his country.

In May 2022, Andrii and his father went to the front line. He served as a mortar battery commander. On November 1 of that year, Russian troops launched an assault on Ukrainian positions near the village of Pavlivka in the Donetsk region. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Guard soldiers repelled the attack, and Andrii personally destroyed two enemy armored vehicles.

After the Russian troops retreated, they began a mortar attack. Andrii managed to push one of his subordinates toward a dugout but was unable to reach shelter himself and was killed.

On July 8, 2023, Andrii Soroka was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Golden Star.

What the Book Reveals About Andrii Soroka

The book brings together memories shared by Andrii’s family, friends, teachers, and fellow service members. They recount his childhood and youth, military service, personality, and final battle. The publication also includes photographs from his life.

During the presentation, the school’s principal, Hanna Mykhailivna, recalled Andrii’s school years. His former homeroom teacher, who had known him as a student, also shared memories of the future defender.

The event was attended by the soldier’s mother, Svitlana, and other family members. Book author Zhanna Dmytrenko spoke about her personal connection to the story: Andrii’s mother had been her student.

Participants in the presentation remembered Soroka not only as a military commander but also as a person who was interested in history and military equipment, read books about military affairs, and was sincere and considerate toward others.

The event also featured poems by Zhanna Dmytrenko dedicated to Andrii and his family.

EMPR