Online Meeting “In the Ring of Fire”

2.2.2026

On January 30, students and teachers of the Faculty of Natural and Agrarian Sciences participated in the online meeting “In the Ring of Fire.”

The online meeting was dedicated to one of the first and at the same time the most important battles of the Russian-Ukrainian war – the defense of Luhansk airport in 2014.

The event became a platform for a deep conversation about the preservation of historical memory and the role of personal stories in the formation of national consciousness. The meeting was given special value by the memories of people who were among the first to defend the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

During the online meeting, the initiator of the chronicle project “In the Ring of Fire”, a graduate of our faculty and currently a senior lecturer at the Department of Landscape Gardening and Ecology, a famous polar explorer, candidate of biological sciences, and volunteer Serhii HLOTOV, delivered a report.

It is also worth noting that Serhii Volodymyrovych is part of the initiative group for creating the petition “On the establishment of a State date of honoring the feat of the defenders of Luhansk airport on August 31” (for whose support the collection of votes is ongoing).

In his speech, he focused on the idea and history of the book’s creation, the importance of recording the direct testimonies of combatants, and the need to preserve the truth about the first stages of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The author emphasized that the book is not only a chronicle of combat events, but also a testament to the courage, resilience, and self-sacrifice of Ukrainian defenders who, at the cost of their own lives and health, defended the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The role of personal stories as an important source for the formation of historical memory and patriotic education of young people was especially emphasized.

This book is the result of the first attempt in Ukraine to collect and analyze the testimonies of direct participants in one of the most heroic and tragic operations of the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which still remains little known to most Ukrainians.

The book was published in two languages ​​- Ukrainian and English – to convey the truth about the events of the defense of Luhansk airport to a wide international audience, to help preserve the historical memory of the Russian-Ukrainian war and to ensure that the voices of the participants in the defense of Luhansk airport were heard not only in Ukraine, but also beyond its borders.

We sincerely thank everyone who initiated the creation of this book and brought the idea to life. for their thorough work in preserving historical truth, documenting events and making an invaluable contribution to the formation of national memory. Special thanks to Serhii Volodymyrovych for his extremely important work, active life position, for preserving the past for the sake of a happy future.

Sincere gratitude to the organizers of the meeting, which became an important space for understanding history, preserving national memory and honoring the heroism of Ukrainian defenders

Conducting such events is an important component of the national-patriotic education of student youth and contributes to the awareness of the continuity of the Ukrainian people’s struggle for freedom and independence.

It was a conversation about memory and truth.

About the people who were the first to defend Ukraine.

About the events and personal stories that shape our present and determine the future.

We remember. We honor. We continue the struggle.

Faculty of Natural and Agrarian Sciences