The Helmet of Memory: Why Vladyslav Heraskevych’s Silent Protest Terrifies Those Who Choose "Neutrality"

Vladyslav Heraskevych and his "Helmet of Memory" have deeply unsettled those who find it convenient to ignore the war Russia is waging—a war that continues to kill and destroy even during the Olympic Games.

In times of war, one cannot be neutral. Neutrality kills.

This is why it is so painful to look at the Helmet of Memory. It bears the faces of those whom Russia has murdered. These are the athletes who should have been competing, coaching, or cheering, but instead, they became victims of Russian aggression.

Those Honored on the Helmet:

• Yevhen Malyshev (Biathlon): A 19-year-old member of Ukraine’s junior national team. A native of Kharkiv, he died on March 1, 2022, defending his home city. He served under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

• Dmytro Sharpar (Figure Skating): A 25-year-old silver medalist of the Ukrainian Pair Skating Championship and former national team member. He was killed in action near Bakhmut on January 23, 2023.

• Pavlo Ishchenko (Strongman): A 33-year-old powerhouse from Hostomel. A four-time Ukrainian champion, world and European powerlifting champion, and record holder. He fell on the front lines in 2025 while executing a combat mission.

• Maksym Galinichev (Boxing): A 22-year-old European Youth Champion and 2018 Youth Olympics silver medalist. Despite being wounded twice, he returned to the front and was killed in the Luhansk region on March 10, 2023.

• Andriy Kutsenko (Track Cycling): A 35-year-old multi-time national champion. He returned from Italy at the start of the full-scale invasion to join the AFU. He died in battle on July 3, 2024, serving with the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

• Oleksiy Lohinov (Ice Hockey): A 23-year-old goaltender for "Bilyi Bars" and Ukrainian championship medalist. He was killed on November 8, 2023, during a combat mission in the Donetsk region.

• Karyna Bakhur (Kickboxing): A 17-year-old European and National Champion. A Master of Sports, she was preparing for the World Cup in Austria when she was killed on November 18, 2025, by a Russian missile strike on Berestyn (Kharkiv region).

• Mykyta Kozubenko (Diving): A 31-year-old Master of Sports and coach from Mykolaiv. He was killed on the front lines in 2025.

• Roman Polishchuk (Athletics): A Ukrainian long jumper who joined the defense of his country. He was killed in 2023 during the heavy fighting for Bakhmut.

• Andriy Yaremenko (Greco-Roman Wrestling): A 25-year-old multi-time champion and member of the national team. He was killed in action on December 4, 2025.

• Taras Shpuk (Invictus Games Coach): A 34-year-old veteran and renowned coach for the Invictus Games team. A former employee of the "Come Back Alive" Foundation, he died on September 17, 2025, during a special forces operation.

• Fedir Epifanov (Fencing): A 19-year-old foil fencer and national team member. He volunteered for the front at age 18. He was killed on December 11, 2023, in a battle near Verbove (Zaporizhzhia region).

• Kateryna Troyan (Athletics): A 32-year-old FPV drone operator (callsign "Meow") in the 82nd Air Assault Brigade. A former athlete, she completed over 1,000 combat sorties and participated in the Kursk operation. She died from severe wounds on June 5, 2025, in the Pokrovsk direction.

• Volodymyr Androshchuk (Athletics): A 22-year-old decathlete and U20 National Champion. A rising star of Ukrainian sports, he was killed on January 25, 2023, defending Bakhmut.

• Oleksiy Khabarov (Shooting): A 31-year-old International Master of Sports and national record holder. Founder of the "Phoenix" shooting club, he was killed on August 19, 2025, during a mission near Shakhtove.

• Darya Kurdel (Dance): A 20-year-old Ukrainian champion in sports dancing. She was killed on July 9, 2022, when a Russian missile struck a sports ground in Kryvyi Rih while she was training with her father.

• Ivan Kononenko (Actor & Athlete): A 42-year-old actor (known for Servant of the People) and athlete. He was severely wounded in 2022 but returned to service. Missing since February 2025, his death in the Kursk direction was confirmed in December 2025.

The Stolen Future: Children in Sports

• Alina Perehudova (Weightlifting): Only 14 years old. A national champion (U17) and candidate for the national youth team. She was killed in March 2022 in besieged Mariupol by Russian shelling. Her brother was shot by a Russian sniper as he ran to help her and their mother.

• Kateryna Dyachenko (Rhythmic Gymnastics): Only 11 years old. She died in March 2022 when a Russian shell struck her home in Mariupol.

• Viktoria Ivashko (Judo): Only 9 years old. A brave and joyful girl just starting her journey in judo. She was killed on June 1, 2023—International Children's Day—during a mass Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv.

• Maria Lebid (Dance): A 15-year-old ballroom dancer and musician. She was killed by a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Dnipro while she was home alone.

• Nazar Zuy (Boxing/Football): A 13-year-old athlete from Makiivka. He was killed on March 11, 2022, in Mariupol when a Russian aerial bomb struck the basement where his family was sheltering.

To remain silent about evil is to become its accomplice.

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