Pavlo "Viking" Panfilov - representative of the team "Stanislaviv Division Firm" (Ivano-Frankivsk) and "Praetorian Guard" (CSKA, Kyiv).

Pavlo Vladyslavovich Panfilov was born on December 27, 1995 in the city of Brody (Lviv region). He lived in Ivano-Frankivsk and studied at school No. 12, the Natural and Mathematical Lyceum named after Pulyuya, after which he continued his studies at the school of the Olympic reserve in Kyiv. From an early age, sport was his main hobby and the meaning of life. In 2003, he became a player of the Ivano-Frankivsk "Prykarpattia" children's football team.

At the age of 13, he began to practice oriental martial arts, choosing for himself the style of karate - goju-ryu, which combines elements of Chinese and Japanese martial arts. At the age of 16, Pavel was invited to Kyiv to study at the Olympic reserve school. The young man lived up to the coaches' hopes, almost always winning championships in karate, judo and jiu-jitsu. According to the memories of his relatives, they never doubted that he would win the next competition, because it simply could not be otherwise.

At the age of 15, he joined the SDF football team, which quickly earned a reputation among teams in the West of the country. In the autumn of 2013, the convergence of the Ivano-Frankiv team with the movement of CSKA Kyiv began, as a result of which the SDF became part of the Praetorian Guard, where they found new friends and fan adventures. In 2014, Pavlo already represented the capital movement in the "forest", and his first opponent was the guys from the Odessa collective "Young Hatred".

Teammates remember Pavel as a very active person, true to his life principles. For the sake of his friends, he was always ready to get together at any moment and travel at least the entire country. At the same time, Pavlo continued to play sports. He won the MMA Championship of Ukraine, and in 2018 (Odesa) and 2019 (Portugal) he won the title of champion at the Karate - Goju-Ryu World Cup.

In his free time from competitions, he liked to travel through the Carpathians, was engaged in equestrian sports, read historical books, was interested in the period of the OUN-UPA struggle, and the theory of Ukrainian nationalism. Had a small private business. Pasha had his own horse and began his journey in equestrian sports. He wanted to build his equestrian club and dreamed of conquering Everest at the age of 30.

At the beginning of March 2022, together with eight close friends, he arrived in Kyiv and served in one of the capital's divisions of the Military Police. Realizing that the war would last for a long time, he joined the ranks of the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the summer of the same year, he participated in the counteroffensive in Kharkiv region. He was the first to raise the flag of Ukraine over de-occupied Izyum.

The next task of the "Viking" was Bakhmut, where fierce battles were already taking place. The commander of the group as part of the unit of SSO "East", together with the fighters entrusted to him, held the section of the front. While in Donetsk region, he informed his relatives that he would not surrender under any circumstances. The brothers say that Pavlo was a Warrior with a capital letter who knew no fear.

It was he who raised morale in his group. Most brothers in arms felt more confident when Pasha was around. Holding his sector in Bakhmut, he could conduct a shooting battle for long hours and did not get exhausted. The thirst for fighting did not leave him until the last minutes of his life.

After successfully completing the task, after leaving the city, Bakhmut was mortally wounded by an enemy drone. Pavlo Panfilov died in the morning of February 23, 2023. He was buried on Alley of Heroes in the village. Chukalivka in Ivano-Frankivsk region.

He was awarded the Golden Cross of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, awarded the Order of Courage III degree (posthumously).

And there is no need for tears or despair
And there is no need for crying and whining
Only he lives who does not live for himself
Who chooses life for others.

Eternal honor to the Hero!

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