Biography

Iryna Leonidivna Hopanchuk was born on February 17, 1970, in Mariupol, Donetsk region. From her youth she was known for her kindness and dedication to helping others. She studied in Vinnytsia, where she lived for some time, and later returned to Mariupol. Choosing medicine as her vocation, she worked as a nurse and sanitary worker in the city hospital, serving patients with care and responsibility.

Iryna devoted her life to her family. She raised three children - Olena, Denys, and Kateryna - and cherished her grandchildren Melania and Lev. She also looked after her elderly mother, Alla Mykolaivna, showing constant love and support. Friends and relatives remembered her as a woman who loved reading, often joking that there was no book she had not opened. She passed this passion onto her children, encouraging them to value knowledge and imagination.

When the full‑scale war began in 2022, Iryna continued to help others. As long as it was possible, she went daily to the hospital to bring food to those who could not return home. On March 15, 2022, tragedy struck. While preparing food with her daughter Kateryna and neighbors in the courtyard of their home on Tramvaynyi Lane, a shell hit the yard. Iryna and Kateryna were killed instantly, along with four other civilians. She was 52 years old, and Kateryna only 13.

Their bodies remained at the site until the end of March, later taken to the morgue, and most likely buried in Mangush, though the exact graves are unknown. Iryna’s eldest daughter, Olena, continues to search for their resting place, keeping alive the memory of her mother and sister.

The memory of Iryna Hopanchuk endures as that of a devoted mother, grandmother, and nurse, whose compassion and strength touched many lives. Her legacy is preserved in her family, her patients, and in the love she gave selflessly until her final day.