On October 14, our country celebrates the Defender of Ukraine Day. This holiday was established by the decree of the President of Ukraine dated October 14, 2014 "in order to honor the courage and heroism of the defenders of independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, military traditions and victories of the Ukrainian people." At the same time, the Soviet tradition of celebrating the so-called "Defender of the Fatherland Day" on February 23 was abolished.
Unlike the Soviet-flavored holiday, which actually turned into honoring men only because of their gender, the Defender of Ukraine Day is a holiday honoring Ukrainian men and women - real heroes who stand guard every day for the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our Motherland.
On May 13, 2015, the Museum "Jewish memory and Holocaust in Ukraine" opened a new exhibition dedicated to the events of Euromaidan, the Revolution of Dignity, the Anti-Terrorist Operation and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. One of the central exhibits presented to the Museum was the door of a UAZ-452 car, a so-called "tablet", almost completely riddled with bullets and mine fragments.
This door is a unique witness to the fiercest fighting at the Sergei Prokofiev Donetsk Airport. They were donated to the Museum by volunteer Mikael Sahakyan, a true patriot of Ukraine. Mikael repaired at his own expense about thirty cars, which were later handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On this car, under fire from terrorists and Russian military personnel, that Ukrainian soldiers evacuated wounded defenders from the airport terminal - soldiers of the 93rd Kholodnoyarsk Mechanized Brigade, other units of the Armed Forces, and Ukrainian volunteer formations. Thanks to the work of volunteers after the overhaul, the car continues to serve the defenders of the Motherland.