The young man was a passionate supporter of the football club «Dynamo».
On June 7, a football Cup in memory of the Azov fighter Alexander «Hryan» Hryanyk was held in Kyiv.
The memorial event was organized by the fighter's parents and friends.
From a young age, Alexander was involved in various sports, eventually gravitating towards football. He frequently played with his peers and participated in numerous tournaments, later becoming part of the fan movement.
His choice fell on the «Dynamo» club, and it was with the football supporters that Alexander began his fight during the Revolution of Dignity.
«He often said: „I will just go to watch, I’ll stand aside“. Later, I saw online photos of him throwing Molotov cocktails. He seldom spoke about it, probably to keep us calm», — shared Olga Hryanyk, Alexander's mother.
Immediately after the Revolution, the young man wanted to join the military, inspired by its participants, but his parents convinced him to finish university first. Eventually, Alexander insisted on his decision and completed basic soldier training with the «Azov».
Meanwhile, his family urged him to return to civilian life after six years of service. For him, this was a complex and non-impulsive decision.
«On New Year's 2022, he sent us a large Azov calendar, and inside he pasted his resignation report from „Redis“. We were very happy», — recalls the long-awaited moment Olga Hryanyk.
However, as soon as the full-scale invasion began, Alexander did not hesitate to defend Kyiv and the region. Despite this, he aimed to join his comrades in besieged Mariupol.
As soon as «Hryan» learned about the planned air breakthrough to the city, he agreed immediately. On the first day in Mariupol, the fighter was injured but refused hospitalization and stayed at «Azovstal».
Unfortunately, on May 8, Russian forces struck the bunker where Alexander was located with an aerial bomb. The defender was buried in his hometown of Kyiv at the Lukyanivske Cemetery.
Despite everything, family and friends find strength to honor the memory of «Hryan» through his favorite activities.
