Today, November 15, marks what would have been the 43rd birthday of Serhii Kemskyi, a native of Kerch and civic activist. However, his life was tragically cut short by a sniper’s bullet on Instytutska Street on February 20, 2014, during the peak of the Revolution of Dignity.
Serhii Kemskyi was born in 1981 in Kerch. Due to his father’s service, his parents moved there from the Zhytomyr region. In Kerch, Serhii attended City School No. 1. He was active in sports, loved hiking in the mountains, enjoyed reading, and wrote poetry. To continue his education in Lviv, he worked on improving his Ukrainian language skills independently. In 1999, he was admitted to the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. He participated in the Orange Revolution as a student, traveling to the protests alongside his classmates.
After completing his studies, he lived in Kyiv and Korosten, wrote articles for Ukrainska Pravda and other publications, and worked as a translator from English. He founded a website where lawyers provided free online consultations to citizens. In 2009, together with a colleague, he established the NGO Institute for Political and Economic Risks and Prospects, preparing analytical materials. He also ran several online projects, including a portal for English-speaking users about Ukraine.
With the start of mass protests in Kyiv in 2013 and the Revolution of Dignity, he actively contributed to creating mutual aid organizations. He wrote journalistic pieces and poetry, organized discussions, and on Maidan, he participated in establishing the anarchist “Black Hundred.” He also joined the work of the Civil Sector of Euromaidan and the Maidan Field Post. During the assault on Maidan on the night of February 19, he was injured when a grenade fragment grazed his nose.
On February 20, 2014, together with his comrades, he advanced uphill on Instytutska Street, pushing against law enforcement forces. The first shots rang out when he reached the October Palace (the International Center of Culture and Arts of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine). Serhii was wearing a bulletproof vest, so the sniper aimed for his neck. He sustained gunshot wounds to the collarbone and lungs. Serhii was still alive as he was carried into the October Palace, but his injuries were too severe, and he could not be saved. He was 32 years old.
On November 21, 2014, he was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Gold Star for his civic courage, patriotism, heroic defense of the constitutional principles of democracy, human rights and liberties, and selfless service to the Ukrainian people during the Revolution of Dignity.