“I am proud of being Ukrainian”
the story of the fallen artist&defender Viktor Nalapshyi
Viktor Nalapshyi was born on February 8, 1993, in the village of Stankiv, Lviv region. Since childhood, he loved nature because he grew up with a view of the mountains and had a passion for creativity in various forms. Viktor’s father, Petro, taught him how to draw.
According to Viktor, “When I was a kid, my father and I used to visit St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral (Lviv) and he taught me how to draw columns. We spent a lot of time there.”
Throughout his life, Viktor traveled extensively in Ukraine and Europe. He lived in Lviv, Lutsk, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kyiv. He enjoyed hiking and had a particular love for the mountains.
Wife
In 2019, after meeting his future wife Anna, he moved to Kyiv. She helped him find a job in film production, which allowed him to fulfill his potential. He started as an administrator on set and worked his way up to become an art director and producer. Viktor learned everything by doing and developed excellent communication skills.
During the full-scale invasion, he, Anna, and their cat Morrison spent two weeks under fire in the Kyiv region. They were then able to leave for Lviv. In April, Viktor proposed to Anna, and they lived in Lviv for a few weeks before he volunteered for the Armed Forces.
Memory
On April 29, 2022, Viktor posted, “My Beloved Ukraine, I thank you for every breath, for every whisper of your herbs, for the music of birds, for the mighty mountains, for the springs that fill me, for every moment I have lived on our holy land. Until my last breath, Mom! I will protect you, my Ukraine, my Mother. I thank you for your people! I am proud to be a Ukrainian and for the spirit of my mighty ancestors that accompanies me!”
Viktor was injured and died on August 30, 2022, in the Kherson region.
In memory of the fallen hero in the Kyiv botanical garden named after Grishka planted a Himalayan cedar near the Buddhist stupa, which anyone can visit.
The stickers with the images of Viktor’s artworks already have their own wide geography of travel: Italy, Germany, Iceland, Georgia, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Egypt, Portugal, Canary Islands, the United States, and of course Ukraine.
