2 weeks later, longtime church leader and you may theologian Igor Kozlovsky, who spent nearly couple of years as prisoner regarding professional-Russian separatists, passed away off a coronary attack. He had been 70.
‘The guy protected their friends, our very own country‘
Created ily for the a rural Ukrainian community, Vinogradar’s mothers split when he is actually more youthful. Their mommy remarried, and his reference to their stepfather try burdened, told you Alexei Kalchuk, an old minister regarding the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and you will longtime buddy.
“Whenever their mom provided delivery so you can his stepfather’s young buck and de entirely superfluous within happier family relations,” Kalchuk informed This new Religious Chronicle. Vinogradar went to an effective boarding school when you look at the Poltava, where an instructor ingrained into the him a fascination with his nation. The guy turned a cadet of the Ukrainian Cossacks.
“During his history 2 years regarding study in the boarding university, Christians regarding the Chapel of Christ started to go to the school,” Kalchuk told you. “These individuals instructed coaching about the dependence on moral and you may spiritual viewpoints for the human existence, and you will Artem in the near future produced members of the family that have Christians and you may started to sit in chapel conferences.” He had been baptized from inside the 2018.
The guy finished within decades 17, “and you can leftover the fresh structure that had heated him in recent times,” Kalchuk said. “Being unsure of what you should do second and you can which place to go, he considered this new chapel, hence currently considered Artem is you to a unique.”
He resided witch chapel people and you will turned into alongside Christians also Fedor Chernichkin, good minister to your Chapel of Christ who transferred to Poltava after expert-Russian separatists caught control of their homeland into the eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region when you look at the 2014.
“He had been young and you will calculated in order to serve about chapel and you may becoming dedicated to Jesus,” one of Vinogradar’s household members, Artur Lytvynenko, advised Suspilne, Ukrainian public radio. “From the him just like the an early, persistent and you can brave people which have a tremendously hard-core.”
Vinogradar attended the fresh new Ukrainian Bible Institute – which in fact had moved off eastern Ukraine towards the country’s resource, Kyiv. The college is actually on the Colorado-based Sunset Around the world Bible Institute.
“He was a sharp scholar, and i will always be contemplate their good character, his look along ghanansk kvinnor with his love to laugh,” told you Brandon Rates, director of Ukrainian Bible Institute. “He’d overcome much inside the previous, and his awesome coming are vibrant.”
Their girlfriend, Valentina, including got beat a difficult prior, Kalchuk said. Orphaned at decades 3, she spent my youth from the their particular brother and now have got examined within a great boarding university.
“Artem have a tendency to stumbled on Valentina’s domestic and you may aided their girlfriend and you will their own (aunt) into the cleaning in order to be close,” Kalchuk told you. “He had been taught about church exactly how a beneficial Christian need to look once an excellent girl … Soon Valentina accepted Christ into the their lives and additionally they began to attend conferences of your own Chapel away from Christ together.”
“Artem and you may Valentina wished to become the finest parents for it little one,” Kalchuk said. “It desired to promote him just what nobody offered all of them … They been successful. In February, the battle first started.
“Artem, already a youngsters chief regarding the chapel, helped during the offering immigrants and refugees. The guy inserted the new ranks out of volunteers which exhausted folks from towns which were throughout the war area and you may directed food and very first services so you’re able to places where there was no electricity, telecommunications and you will drinking water, but there is demise and you will depletion. His wife are awaiting your home and you can prayed one to that it mug create solution off him.”
“When Artem entitled their partner and you can friends, he usually said that the guy didn’t need to kill some one and you may (which he) wished your combat perform avoid before he done their knowledge. However, he including asserted that he was titled to guard his country, domestic, family members – and this refers to additional while there is zero better like than that if individuals offers his lives to possess their family unit members,” Kalchuk told you, mentioning John .
Vinogradar supported just like the a sniper on airborne physical violence unit, Suspilne claimed. The guy passed away in handle Aug. 15 close to the community off Verbove.
Valentina was expecting through its 2nd child. System getting Humanitarian Help, an excellent nonprofit supported by congregations like the A great&Meters Church away from Christ during the University Station, Texas, reduced the newest couple’s rent as they supported this new chapel.
“Artem was one of the high school students – and you can part of PHA’s ministry for decades,” said Wes Hawthorne, development administrator into nonprofit and a member of the fresh new A great&Yards church. “He concerned the summer camps for quite some time.”
Preacher-Turned-Soldier and you may Tortured Theologian Mourned inside the Ukraine
Their partner and you can youngster gone to live in Greece with Chernichkin and his awesome family members. Ukrainians all over Europe mourn, along with Kalchuk, who invested 51 weeks trapped on the Mariupol church’s strengthening with fellow believers as intense fighting raged external.
“My brother was slain,” told you Kalchuk, today for the Poland. “He safe his loved ones, our very own nation, their students. Artem, we are going to definitely view you! Other people when you look at the serenity, my friend.”