“I was engaged in boxing with Klitschko”: in Borodianka, in a mass grave, they found the body of a famous athlete shot by the invaders

“We dreamed of traveling all over Europe with our family, but Russia ruined these plans”

- Oleg and his twin brother Alexander have been boxing at the Kazak sports club since school. For a while they even went to training with Wladimir Klitschko, - told wife of the deceased Elena Stukalo. - Klitschko during one of the interviews even mentioned the Stukal brothers, calling them strong and worthy athletes. Oleg participated in the Spartakiad of the CIS, which was held in St. Petersburg. In the light heavyweight category up to 81 kilograms, he then took the gold medal. He was also the European champion among juniors. Once, at a competition in Hungary, Oleg was awarded second place only because an eyebrow was cut during a fight with a Greek, and in juniors after that they were immediately removed from the ring.

- Oleg had the title of master of sports in boxing of international class, - Elena continues. - Everyone knew him as a leader, because wherever he performed, he always had to take a prize. His room was literally hung with medals and diplomas. Despite his strength, Oleg had a very kind heart and did not refuse to help a single person, he never resolved conflicts with his fists …

But boxing is a sport that needs funds, the Klitschko brothers were lucky with sponsors, but Oleg and his brother were not. Although they would have a great future if they continued to train further.

After school, Oleg entered the University of Physical Education, but then the “evil nineties” were in full swing, and it so happened that he did not finish his studies. Soon Oleg and his brother went to Russia to work. When he returned to Borodyanka, he was engaged in entrepreneurial activities. And I worked as a secretary in one of the companies. Once he came to us on business, we met and soon began to meet. Tall, stocky and at the same time sincere and sociable, behind him I was like behind a stone wall. By that time I had a son, who later took the name of Oleg and deservedly called him dad. In 2006, our common daughter Valeria was born, who, like two drops of water, looks like a man.

We, like millions of Ukrainians, lived a normal happy life. Oleg got a job in a security company. On vacation, we loved to fly abroad to the sea, to relax in nature. The husband adored the children and probably never once raised his voice to them. He was incredibly proud of his daughter, who was engaged in singing and, like the champion dad, always won all competitions and festivals. And Oleg accompanied her everywhere. They were not just dad and daughter, but best friends. Shortly before the Great War, a man fulfilled her dream and took her to a concert of her favorite singer in Kyiv. We dreamed of traveling all over Europe as a family, but all these plans were destroyed by Russia.

“No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get through to the man”

According to the interlocutor, the morning of February 24 will never be erased from memory for their family, because it was from that day that the countdown of days of pain and despair began.

- I woke up from a lot of messages from friends that the war had begun, - recalls the interlocutor. - I woke up the kids. It so happened that my husband’s nephew was still living with us, because his brother died due to heart problems, and his wife went to work in Portugal. Therefore, the last seven years the boy was brought up with us. The eldest son went to the gas station and asked to run, because it was not clear what would happen. Oleg was at work that day and could not come. I took my mother-in-law, and together we came to my mother in a private house. As soon as alarms sounded, we all hid in the cellar. Air bombs were falling all the time, it was so scary! Then a man somehow got into the city, but there was no connection anymore and we could not communicate.

On March 2, when the occupants blew up the second house in the center and in our house, which was not so far away, plaster flew, I realized that it was worth running. I gathered the children, two dogs, and we went to Lviv. My employer was there, who gave us food, the opportunity to take a shower for the first time in two weeks, put on.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get through to the man. Therefore, she decided to save children abroad herself. Despite the fact that my son was decommissioned from service, he was not released from Ukraine. I left him money, a car, and I crossed the border with Poland on foot with my daughter, nephew and animals. From Warsaw we got to Portugal, where the wife of Oleg’s late brother lived and worked. However, when we heard from her that she, a native of Luhansk, rejoices at the occupation of Kherson, we decided to build our lives separately.

In a foreign land, the heart was out of place, because we knew that Borodyanka was carried away by the Russians, it was being bombed. One of the locals, who managed to climb onto the roof to call me, shared the news with me, said that our mothers were alive, but she had not seen Oleg. After that, I began to spread information on the search for a loved one on social networks. Soon, our priest and another friend called me on the phone, they said that, most likely, Oleg was killed. I did not believe it, because there were many rumors that one or another was shot. I thought that my husband would not be touched, he had nothing to do with the army, he was civil and law-abiding, not a provocateur. Therefore, we looked for Oleg and prayed for a miracle.

Read on “Censor.NET”: One hundred and twenty ball holes in a civilian car - the prosecutor’s office provided evidence of the atrocities of the invaders in the Kyiv region

Already after the de-occupation, the eldest son showed a photograph in which the man’s car was completely burned down. There was no body inside. Then I heard from eyewitnesses that when my husband was driving a car, the Russians shot at him from behind on the move and he died instantly. The car was set on fire for some reason. The locals, who at that time buried the innocently killed, claimed that they had not seen Oleg, but they remembered three unknown bodies wrapped in a blanket, which they had to hide … It is now known that they simply did not recognize my beloved man then. And the invaders, having killed him, for some reason dragged the body away from the car.

While Elena was searching from abroad, her mother-in-law in Ukraine hung around the thresholds of morgues, passed her DNA. They have already begun to dig up mass graves, but the family has not received any news.

- In October, my daughter and I came home, I was determined to finally find Oleg, I devoted all my days to this, the woman recalls. - However, also to no avail. At home, I learned that there were two more mass graves in the cemetery, but the exhumation would take place a little later. However, I already had to return to work abroad.

Read on “Censor.NET”: “Shoot everyone together with children!”: Court sentenced two invaders for atrocities in a village in the Kiev region to 12 years

In early March of this year, the police released the news that three more victims had been found. I paid attention to the detail - a small scallop, no one had such, because it was brought from Switzerland. I brought it home from work one day, when I worked as a second-hand administrator. Oleg took the comb for himself and constantly wore it. I remember I was still joking, they say, why do you need it. Oleg said: “Maybe it will come in handy” … And the man also carried with him a certificate of a master of sports in boxing. And it was thanks to these things that the man was recognized. After that, our world collapsed. So my heart ached … Oleg’s relatives went to Makarov to the morgue for identification. It was my husband.

Oleg Stukal was buried in his native Borodianka. The embarrassed wife and daughter are waiting for the day when they can finally return to Ukraine and visit the grave of their loved one.

“Fortunately, our houses survived, there is where to return,” Elena says. - And abroad, we realized even more how much we love Ukraine and that there is no better place. Valeria really misses her dad, but she now has a strong guardian angel who is proud of her from heaven. His daughter will dedicate her victories in vocals to him.

See also: “It seems that they shot people for fun”: a video was found in Bucha with the faces of occupiers who committed terrible crimes