It is with terrible sadness that we announce the loss of Ivan Paramonov, a graduate of the UCU Institute of Leadership and Management. Ivan lost his life defending Ukraine on June 8, during a combat mission in the Kharkiv direction. He had joined the ranks of the Armed Forces voluntarily in February of 2024, because “he could not watch from the window how his country is suffering.”
Ivan Paramonov was the Executive Director of the Shtuka NGO (formerly the Idea Workshop NGO) and a recipient of the “Light of Justice” award for moral, spiritual, and ethical leadership. He had a special desire to promote Ukrainian identity among young people and believed passionately in the future of Ukraine.
Lina Polikhata, the head of the master’s program at UCU ILU, remembered, “For me, Ivan combined cheerfulness with great responsibility; elegance with strength; and wisdom and tenacity with such depth. It is unspeakably painful to accept that he is gone. I am proud to have known him.”
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. The entire UCU community is united in prayer for Ivan and offers sincere condolences to Ivan’s family and loved ones. May he rest in peace.
Вічна пам’ять і слава Героєві! Eternal memory and glory to the Hero!