Today, August 18, at 11:00 a.m. in the central square of Mykolaiv Zoo, a memorial plaque was unveiled in honor of zoo employees who died defending Ukraine and our freedom: Dmytro Rieznik and Pavlo Shevchenko.

The event was attended by many zoo employees, regular visitors, relatives of the victims and the head of the Department of Culture and Cultural Heritage Protection of the Ministry of Culture, Yuri Lyubarov. All zoos of Ukraine sent letters with sincere condolences.

Dmytro Rieznik has worked at Mykolaiv Zoo since 2008. For many years, he worked as the deputy head of the department of ungulates. He was a highly skilled worker who was dedicated to his work. He was very fond of animals, constantly improving his qualifications, cooperating with specialists of many zoos in Ukraine. On the fourth day of the war, February 28, 2022, he went to the front. Died on July 1, 2023 at the front near Kherson. This is an irreparable loss for Mykolaiv Zoo.

Pavlo Shevchenko managed to work in Mykolaiv Zoo for only a few months, starting in November 2022. He worked in the Aquaterrarium department as an animal care worker. But during this time, he managed to prove himself as a diligent and persistent worker who treated animals very attentively and carefully. Pavlo died on July 2, 2023 near Donetsk.

Eternal memory to all fallen heroes! You are forever in our memory!