Two weeks later, longtime chapel commander and you can theologian Igor Kozlovsky, which spent nearly couple of years due to the fact prisoner away from pro-Russian separatists, died from a coronary arrest. He had been 70.
‘The guy protected his family relations, all of our country'
Created ily within the an outlying Ukrainian town, Vinogradar's moms and dads broke up as he try younger. His mommy remarried, and his awesome relationship with their stepfather is actually strained, said Alexei Kalchuk, a former minister about Ukrainian town of Mariupol and long time pal.
“When their mother offered beginning in order to their stepfather's child and you may de- totally superfluous inside happy members of the family,” Kalchuk advised This new Christian Chronicle. Vinogradar went along to a beneficial boarding college or university inside Poltava, in which a teacher ingrained for the your a fascination with his country. The guy turned a beneficial cadet of your own Ukrainian Cossacks.
“Through the his history two years regarding investigation within boarding college or university, Christians regarding the Church from Christ began to check out the college,” Kalchuk said. “These individuals educated training towards importance of moral and you will spiritual philosophy from inside the peoples lives, and you may Artem soon produced family with Christians and you will started initially to sit-in chapel meetings.” He was baptized into the 2018.
He graduated on age 17, “and you will kept the brand new structure which had warmed him lately,” Kalchuk told you. “Being unsure of what to do 2nd and you can which place to go, he turned to the church, and that currently considered Artem to-be one to its own.”
He existed witch chapel members and you can turned into alongside Christians plus Fedor Chernichkin, an excellent minister into the Church regarding Christ which moved to Poltava immediately after expert-Russian separatists captured control over his homeland inside the east Ukraine's Donbas part into the 2014.
“He was more youthful and you can computed so you can suffice about chapel and you may becoming loyal to help you Goodness,” certainly one of Vinogradar's friends, Artur Lytvynenko, informed Suspilne, Ukrainian societal broadcast. “I recall him due to the fact a young, stubborn and you may fearless man with a tremendously hard core.”
Vinogradar went to the newest Ukrainian Bible Institute - which in fact had relocated of eastern Ukraine to the state's financial support, Kyiv. The college are associated with Tx-built Sundown All over the world Bible Institute.
“He had been a-sharp student, and that i are always remember his a beneficial character, his laugh and his prefer to laugh,” told you Brandon Rates, director of your own Ukrainian Bible Institute. “He'd beat far in his earlier in the day, along with his future are brilliant.”
Their girlfriend, Valentina, and additionally got beat an emotional earlier in the day, Kalchuk told you. Orphaned on many years step three, she grew up by the their aunt and have now had analyzed on an effective boarding college or university.
“Artem commonly found Valentina's family and you will aided their girlfriend and you will their particular (aunt) with the cleaning in order to be intimate,” Kalchuk told you. “He was educated in the chapel exactly how good Christian need to look immediately after good girl ... In the future Valentina acknowledged Christ with the their own life and started to attend group meetings of your own Church regarding Christ to each other.”
“Artem and you may Valentina wanted to get to be the best moms and dads because of it baby,” Kalchuk said. “It wanted to bring your what not one person gave them ... It been successful. However in February, the war first started.
“Artem, currently a youth chief from the chapel, assisted inside the helping immigrants and you will refugees. He inserted the fresh new ranking regarding volunteers whom evacuated individuals from towns and cities that have been on the battle area and transmitted as well as basic assistance so you can places that there is no electricity, correspondence and you can drinking water, however, there can be death and you can destruction. His wife are awaiting him home and you can prayed you to that it glass carry out ticket of your.”
“Whenever Artem named his wife and you will nearest and dearest, he always said that he don't need to eliminate people and you will (which he) expected that combat do avoid in advance of the guy completed his training. But the guy also asserted that he was titled to guard his country, house, family - and this is different because there is no greater like than simply if somebody brings their lives for his family,” Kalchuk told you, mentioning John .
Vinogradar supported once the a beneficial sniper about airborne physical violence device, Suspilne claimed. The guy died for the combat Aug. fifteen close to the community out of Verbove.
Valentina are expecting and their next child. Program to own Humanitarian Assistance, a nonprofit supported by congregations such as the An excellent&Meters Chapel off Christ inside College Station, Texas, repaid the fresh new couple's book as they offered the latest church.
“Artem are one of the high school students - and you will section of PHA's ministry for a long time,” told you Wes Hawthorne, development administrator towards nonprofit and you will a member of new A beneficial&Meters chapel. “He came to our https://internationalwomen.net/sv/santo-domingo-kvinnor/ summer camps for quite some time.”
Preacher-Turned-Soldier and you may Punished Theologian Mourned within the Ukraine
Their wife and you can child transferred to Greece having Chernichkin and his awesome family. Ukrainians across the Europe mourn, also Kalchuk, which invested 51 weeks trapped from the Mariupol church's building with other believers because the serious assaulting raged external.
“My buddy was murdered,” told you Kalchuk, now during the Poland. “The guy protected his members of the family, our nation, his youngsters. Artem, we are going to seriously see you! Others inside the comfort, my pal.”