Nikolai Vashchuk, firefighter
Nikolai Vashchuk. Firefighter, squad leader of the independent paramilitary fire department No.6 [SVPCh-6] for the protection of the city of Pripyat.
Photo: Eugene Schwab Source: Facebook
Lydia Virina, "That Fiery Night", 1989:
Vasya is hard-working, both on duty and in his free time he helps in everything. Nikolai Vashchuk - the same. He never threw words to the wind. If he said so, he would do so. […]
Sgt. Anatoly Naydyuk, driver of SVPCh-6:
- All our fire trucks, two tankers and a mechanical ladder are out. On the ladder is the driver Mikhail Krysko. With me are Vasya Ignatenko, Volodya Tishura. The first move Peter Pivovarov. Nikolai Vashchuk, Nikolai Titenok are with him. And Lieutenant Kibenok Victor Nikolaevich, head of the guard. [...]
We drove up and immediately look for Pravik, he is the first firefighting supervisor. And it is he who comes down from above. He gave the command to set up a ladder, Krysko brought it up to the wall, all our firefighting units immediately - up, Ignatenko, Tishura, Vashchuk, Titenok - all on the roof above the reactor, Chief of the guard Kibenok with them, and Pravik too. [...]
Peter Pivovovar has fed water into the dry pipes, it spurts to the sky. Dry tubes are torn. Nikolay Vashchuk ran down, chose small diameter sleeves, went up again. From thirty meters he threw me a rope. I tied them up, he lifted them.
By the standards of a normal fire, they didn't work there long. About thirty minutes. But the fire was atomic. Titenok went down first, kept on his feet. Kolya Vashchuk followed him. Vomiting passes, sits down. Vasya Ignatenko, Volodya Tishura were the last to leave, with Vitya Kibenok, they were very bad.
Photo: Eugene Schwab Source: Facebook
From the article "The feat of Nikolai Vashchuk" of June 14, 1986, by P. Petrov:
Nikolai was sent to Moscow, his sister Lyuba said. They did everything they could there to save him. Bone marrow was transplanted... Our brother Sasha was a donor... We visited him all the time. Tonya visited him every day...
He took Antonina as his wife with two children (her first husband died). He was not afraid of difficulties, he did not seek profit... He loved her, he loved her children.
Already in this act the great soul of Nikolai is revealed
He was born on June 5, 1971 in the village of Velika Haicha, Ovruch District, Zhitomir Region, Ukraine.
According to sister Luba, Nikolai died on May 11, 1986, and was buried on May 14. The date of May 14 is on the tombstone. This date is also indicated on memorial plaques and on all Internet resources.
In the article "The feat of Nikolai Vashchuk" and, according to sister, Nikolai was already married to Antonina, but the report and articles of the State Emergency Service stated the following:
"On April 26, he was on duty in place of a comrade. In this way he earned himself days off in order to get married at the beginning of May"
April 23, 2013: https://zt.dsns.gov.ua/uk/news/ostanni-novini/2559
May 10, 2019: https://youtu.be/Fng-a3XxxN8?t=852
"Among the first heroes and our countryman from Ovruch District Nikolai Vashchuk, commander of squad of SVPCh-6 on protection of Pripyat, who on April 26 was on duty instead of his comrade, in order to get married on May 1"
December 09, 2021: https://zt.dsns.gov.ua/uk/news/ostanni-novini/20707
Military card issued to Nikolai at the age of 19
Military card, number
Surname: Vashchuk
Name: Nikolay
Patronymic: Vasilyevich
Number, month and year of birth: June 5, 1959
Owner's personal signature
Issued by Ovruch regional military commissariat of Zhytomyr region
November 13, 1978
Military Commissar Lieutenant Colonel Dehtyar, signature
I. General information
1. Place of birth: Velyka Khaycha village, Ovruch district, Zhytomyr region
2. Nationality: Ukrainian
3. Party affiliation (since what year): -
4. Is member of Komsomol (since what year): since 1978 [19 years]
5. Education: 8 classes
6. Primary civilian occupation: locksmith, driver
7. Marital status: single
Memories of sister Lyuba and Boris Chumak, former head of the Zhytomyr Region Fire Department, an employee of the Regional Department of the State Emergency Service and Chairman of the Firemen of Chernobyl Charity Foundation