Taras Dmytrovych Davydiuk «Staryi»
- Unit: 14th Separate Regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
«Today, there are and can be no matters more important than the war. And everyone must understand this. And not only understand it, but act accordingly»
Taras Davydiuk was born on August 28, 1986, in Rivne. He graduated from Ostroh Academy with a degree in political science.
He worked as a history teacher and journalist. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of the local independent news website «Horyn.info».
Comrade Staryi lived by the nationalist code. He never judged anyone, discussed anyone, or envied anyone. He followed a very proper, truthful path and was absolutely sincere. He was never interested in material wealth. He wanted to serve the state and fight on all fronts, to act proactively, to awaken Ukrainian society, which was in a deep lethargic sleep. Taras tried to awaken everyone and did so with the last of his strength.
From 2002, he was active in the civic movement. He was a member of the «Molodyi Rukh» organization. During 2005—2012, he was head of the regional organization and a member of the Central Leadership of the Youth Nationalist Congress; head of the Rivne regional organization «Active Youth». He took part in organizing solidarity actions with Sumy political prisoners of the Yanukovych regime, torchlight marches in honor of the Heroes of Ukraine, and the «Kryivka» game.
In 2005, he joined the local Plast branch in the Ostroh stanytsia. From 2012, he was active in Plast in the Rivne stanytsia, serving as referent for USP, UPU, communications, and media, deputy head of the SPS, and a member and head of the SPR. He completed training for youth counselors; he was counselor of the «Chorni Stupni» and «Vovky» patrols, liaison officer of the 33rd Ulas Samchuk Youth Plast Kurin, educator and instructor at many Plast camps. He combined educational work with the duties of the local senior Plast leadership in the city.
He was a participant in the Revolution of Dignity. He volunteered in the 14th and 15th Hundreds of the Maidan Self-Defense.
In 2015, the All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda" nominated Davydiuk as its candidate for the Rivne City Council of the 7th convocation in a single-member district, but he was not elected.
He organized the «FreeRiff» and «FreeKuzmenko» campaigns, patriotic events, and coordinated Rivne region's participation in the March of Defenders of Ukraine on August 24 in Kyiv. He was head of the Rivne branch of the Union of Veterans of the War with Russia and deputy head of the Coordination Council on Veterans' Affairs of Rivne region.
He continued to support young people, in particular providing financial support to the “Povstanska Vatra” camp, which was held in the city of Unizh in 2018.
From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he fought as part of his 130th Reconnaissance Battalion, and later in the 14th Separate Regiment, as part of which he was killed. In 2023, Taras Davydiuk was granted the status of Honorary Member of the MNK for his contribution and work in the organization, as well as for defending the sovereignty of the Ukrainian State.
In 2014, he took part in the «Harpun» Volunteer Battalion and was a volunteer in the 15th MNK unit.
From 2016 to 2019, he served in the 130th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion. In 2020-2021, he was a reconnaissance machine gunner in the 14th Prince Roman the Great Brigade. In 2019, he was demobilized.
With the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, he returned to the front. In September, he became engaged to his beloved Tetiana and then returned to service. He served in the 14th Separate Regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He was killed on November 3, 2023, near the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region while supporting the counteroffensive.