Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awards state honors to fallen journalists and servicemen on Constitution Day 

On Ukraine’s Constitution Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky conferred state honors on prominent Ukrainians. Among those recognized were Alla (“Ruta”) Pushkarchuk, a journalist, editor, and theater expert who also served as a mortar operator, and was awarded the Order of Merit. Iryna (“Cheka”) Tsybukh, a journalist of “Suspilne” and paramedic with the “Hospitallers” volunteer medical battalion, and Andriy (“Topper”) Topchiy, a journalist, serviceman, and combat medic with a rifle battalion, both received the Order for Courage. These honors acknowledge their bravery, dedication, and ultimate sacrifice in service to Ukraine.

Alla (“Ruta”) Pushkarchuk

Journalist, editor, and soldier

Following the full-scale invasion, she enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces alongside her boyfriend, who later became her husband. In 2021, Alla Pushkarchuk applied for the position of news editor at Chytomo. She was selected among 140 applicants for this role. 

Alla had been working with us for six months. At Chytomo, she also coordinated the #EmptyChairPeople, a project devoted to the political-author prisoners. Several of her interviews are available in English. After the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Pushkarchuk became one of the soldiers and volunteers whom Chytomo interviewed for the “Words and Bullets” project. 

From 2014 to 2018, she worked as a journalist and photographer in the 5th Separate Battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army. After her demobilization, she held positions as a journalist and news editor at Ukrainsky Tyzhden (Ukrainian Week) magazine from 2018 to 2020, and as a PR specialist at Komora Publishing House from 2019 to 2020.

Iryna Tsybukh 

Journalist and volunteer medical battalion paramedic  

Iryna Tsybukh was born on June 1, 1998 in Lviv and graduated from Lviv Polytechnic National University. In 2014, Tsybukh served several front-line rotations with the Hospitallers volunteer medical battalion. In 2017, she began working for Suspilne’s journalism team as a reform manager, filming documentaries, preparing interregional specials, and implementing grant projects. During Tsybukh’s free time, she implemented educational projects in the remote villages of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. 

In February 2022, after the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, Tsybukh returned to the battlefield as a member of the Hospitallers. With colleagues from Suspilne media, Iryna Tsybukh won the “Professional Honor” journalism competition in 2021 for the category “Best Publicism Writing in Local Media.” 

In 2018, she placed as a finalist for “Best Reportage.” In November 2023, she was awarded the Order of Merit, III degree, by the President of Ukraine, and in March 2024 Tsybukh became a laureate of the “UP 100. The Power of Women” award.

Andriy Topchiy

Journalist, serviceman, combat medic of the rifle battalion 

Andriy Topchiy was a multifaceted individual who served as a journalist, serviceman, and combat medic with the rifle battalion. He authored articles on historical topics and conducted interviews with scientists for the newspaper “Fakty,” and previously worked as a journalist for “Telegraf.” Topchiy began defending Ukraine in 2014 and went on to achieve the rank of sergeant during the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). He dedicated himself to fighting for Ukraine for 10 years, while also periodically working as a journalist, before ultimately sacrificing his life on the front line.

Copy Editing: Terra Friedman King