Ivan "Kotygoroshko" Chekanyuk is a fan of the CSKA football club (Kyiv), a representative of the Praetorian Guard team.

Ivan Mykhailovych Chekanyuk was born on November 24, 1994 in the village of Hill of Polonka (Volyn region). Studied at school No. 1 in the city of Lutsk with advanced study of the English language. Since childhood, he practiced martial arts, in particular jiu-jitsu. After school, he entered the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts. Having patriotic beliefs from an early age, the young man was hardened in camps and schools. There he learned the ability to keep order and quickly make the right decisions in critical situations. As it turns out later, this character trait of his will come in handy during the war. Since 2011, he has been a member of the nationalist youth organization "National Alliance". He did not drink alcohol or smoke, actively promoted a healthy lifestyle among his peers and older friends. He knew how to listen and hear people.

But not only youth camps played a significant role in the formation of a young man's character. After moving to Kyiv for studies, he joined the cohort of fans of the capital's CSKA. Took an active part in the life of the movement, supported mini-football and handball teams in the sector. When talking about Ivan, teammates always mention his always positive attitude, even in the most unpleasant situations. They remember how during trips he showed his friends tricks with playing cards, which no one could not only repeat, but even understand their secret. For this, among the fans, he was called "The Gambler".

With the onset of the Revolution of Dignity, like many representatives of the capital's fanatical movements, he took part in the overthrow of criminal power from the very beginning. After the beginning of the Russian aggression in the East, he almost immediately joined the then newly formed "Azov" battalion, as part of which he liberated Maryinka, participated in the battles near Ilovaisk, Pavlopol, Chermalyk, and Hnutovy. In the army, he received the call sign "Kotygoroshko", which, according to his comrades, characterized the soldier in the best possible way, because he was resourceful and positive in the difficult conditions of life at the front.

Since 2016, he participated in combat operations as part of the 11th battalion "Kyiv Rus" (59th brigade of the Armed Forces), was a scout and performed tasks of battalion reconnaissance. It became widely known the case when near N.p. Popasna "Kotygoroshko" as part of a reconnaissance group, in broad daylight, competently disguised, penetrated the rear of the enemy and, bypassing the VOP (platoon base), stormed it, after which radio communication equipment, equipment, equipment and other evidence of Russian aggression were captured . The enemy had a concentrated artillery strike in return. Unfortunately, one of the shells exploded nearby, and two legs of a comrade with the call sign "Batya" were broken by fragments, and Ivan himself was wounded in the knee, but despite this, he began to evacuate the wounded. Despite his injury, fatigue, stress, huge distance, mined fields and the difference in weight, he brought "Batya" to the evacuation group. For this example of courage and heroism, he was awarded the Order "For Courage" of the 3rd degree.

Constantly sought to improve, learned to work with new weapons, the latest military equipment, high-precision shooting, tactics, strategy, camouflage, tactical medicine. He improved his English skills in order to communicate with US marines and other interesting guests of our country. He didn't waste time in other areas as well, as the founder and co-author of the idea of uniting veterans of BRO (Combat Resistance Movement) for socialization and support of veterans, creation of jobs. He was the founder and co-owner of the commercial project of the veteran business of the BRO pizzeria chain in Kyiv. As part of the social load, he delivered pizza to wounded soldiers in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Already during the invasion of the Russian occupiers into the Kyiv region, the BRO pizzeria fed the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, TrO and volunteers who provided the defense of the city free of charge.

With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, "Kotygoroshko" gathered a group of experienced veterans of the ATO/OOS and patrolled the capital. As the commander of the reconnaissance group, he directly took an active part in the special operations of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the release of N.P. Moschun, Gostomel, Bucha, Irpin, Vorzel, Makariv, Buzova, Kopyliv. Performed special tasks to destroy the Russian invaders in the area of N.P. Bazar, Poliske. He repeatedly performed combat missions in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Luhansk regions.

During the fierce fighting in the city of Severodonetsk, after the clash of the group with the enemy on June 8, 2022, at the post of the "Promzona" stronghold, he escorted the special purpose group of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The enemy concentrated artillery bombardment of the positions with the aim of a further assault. Ivan Chekanyuk did not leave the group unsupervised until the last moment and adjusted their route, taking it out of the shell, until an enemy shell hit nearby and cut off the life of the brave Warrior. Awarded the Order "For Courage" II degree (posthumously).