Former mayor of Uman Oleksandr Tsebriy killed in war: a day of mourning declared in the city
25 July 2024 23:48
Former mayor of Uman, Cherkasy region, Oleksandr Tsebriy was killed in the Russian-Ukrainian war. This was announced by the head of the Cherkasy Regional Military Administration, Igor Taburets, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Tsebriy was the commander of a machine gun platoon and served in the 58th separate motorised infantry brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky.
“A heavy loss for Cherkasy region. As it is every time our soldiers are killed. Oleksandr Tsebriy died defending Ukraine. He was the former mayor of Uman. He was in service from the first days of the full-scale war. A glorious warrior. A brave man. A reliable comrade-in-arms. Commander of a machine gun platoon. Junior sergeant,” the head of the OVA wrote.
Later, the death of the former mayor of Uman was also confirmed by his fellow party member, a representative of the Propozytsiya political force and Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov.
“I confirm that the former mayor of Uman, the founder of the ‘Propozytsiya’ party, Oleksandr Tsebriy, died during the assault from a serious injury in the arms of his comrades-in-arms… I will not write anything else. Because the pain is unrelenting. Everything we agreed on will be fulfilled, Brother,” Filatov wrote.
The soldier’s wife Natalia wrote on his Facebook page that Tsebriy died on 24 July.
Politicians, volunteers and many celebrities reacted to the news of the former mayor’s death.
“A man of his word. A man of honour. A man of great love for Ukraine. Sasha lit up with his energy and motivation. Sasha was a sincere and loyal friend. People like Sasha should have been the core of a new Ukraine. His loss is an indescribable pain. It is a void that will never be filled. Tsebriy Oleksandr Volodymyrovych. On the shield,” volunteer Serhiy Prytula wrote and posted a video with the former mayor.
“A mayor that the whole of Ukraine can be proud of! I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with him on numerous humanitarian projects in Uman. During the war, we were always in touch and discussed the difficult situation in the country. The last time he sent me a text message was on 4 July, asking about the threats of the so-called ‘truce’. Oleksandr was not afraid to speak and write publicly about the true realities of the WAR, because he had a moral right to do so. With his military call sign “mayor”, he was and remains an example of courage for Ukrainian society and an uncomfortable irritant for the large army of current officials who give patriotic interviews in uniform, while acquiring new apartments, cars and real estate abroad for budget kickbacks and bribes. Instead, Oleksandr Tsebriy was a “Mayor” whom the whole of Ukraine could be proud of,” Mykola Tomenko wrote.
“A friend has died. Oleksandr Tsebriy. A true Hero. A commander and a warrior. Former mayor of Uman. Eternal memory and Glory,” Sashko Lirnyk wrote.
Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman, on behalf of himself and the Jewish community of Ukraine, expressed his sincere condolences to his family and friends.
“It was with a heavy heart that I learned that Oleksandr Tsebriy was killed at the front… Oleksandr Tsebriy was the former mayor of Uman, I met him several years ago, in Uman itself, just before the arrival of Hasidic pilgrims. We talked a lot about the process of this pilgrimage, and together we agreed on a compromise between the pilgrims and the residents of Uman, for the comfort of both sides. It was then that I noticed the wisdom and humanity of Oleksandr Tsebriy. Subsequently, we contacted him more than once on various projects and good deeds, and I increasingly admired the dedication of this man,” Asman wrote.
Oleksandr Tsebriy made his last post on Facebook 3 days ago.
“Who wants to be the Mayor? At least for a week? We went out at night for 20 km, and in the morning we came back completely worn out, even the laces of our boots were wet. I threw off everything, washed myself with a bottle and passed out without even feeling the boards of different thicknesses that make up the flooring and which usually press fiercely into my ribs.
I have a favourite kind of whisky (lots of smoke and peat). So, I tasted it in a dream. I was at home, in my favourite armchair, among my family, with a glass of whisky. A cool dream, hopefully a prophetic one. Someone please be the mayor for this period!” he wrote.
on 26 July, a day of mourning was declared in the Uman community, according to the head of the community, Iryna Pletneva, on Facebook.
“On 26 July, the Uman community declared a day of mourning in connection with the heroic death of the defender soldier Oleksandr Tsebriy,” the post reads.
It is stated that the flag on the buildings and structures of local government, enterprises, institutions and organisations will be at half-mast as a sign of mourning.
The head of the city also called for refraining from playing entertainment music at markets, in trade and catering establishments and other public places.
Oleksandr Tsebriy’s funeral will take place on 27 July, and he will be buried on the Alley of Heroes.
What we know about Oleksandr Tsebriy
Oleksandr Tsebriy served as the mayor of Uman from 2015 to 2020.
He was the founder of the city’s NGO of car owners “Uman”, a member of the NGO “Native Uman”, a member of the audit committee of the association “Club of Mayors”.
During 2010-2014, he was a deputy and chairman of the Standing Committee on Production Development, Entrepreneurship, Investment and Foreign Economic Policy of the Uman City Council of the VI convocation.
In 2014 (from 18 March to 30 May), he was the Secretary of the City Council, and then acted as Mayor for almost a year and a half before the elections.
In 2015, he was elected mayor of Uman.
In August-September 2020, he opposed the mass Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman due to the COVID-19 pandemic, taking radical measures, including a ban on entry to the city. Tsebriy spent the night in front of the President’s Office, protesting against the arrival of the Hasidim due to the possible spread of the coronavirus.
He was one of the leaders of the Propozytsiya party and planned to run in the local mayoral elections in Uman on 25 October 2020, but the local TEC withdrew him from the elections. According to him, the territorial election commission also registered two “clones” of Tsebriy
Oleksandr Tsebriy joined the army from the first days of the full-scale war.
He was the commander of a machine gun platoon of the 58th separate motorised infantry brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky.
on 7 March 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a decree awarding Junior Sergeant Oleksandr Tsebrii the Order for Courage, III Class.
on 14 March, the award was personally presented to Oleksandr Tsebriy by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi.
In April, Oleksandr Tsebriy told the media that he was fighting in the Donetsk sector.
on 4 June, Oleksandr Tsebriy turned 50 years old.
Tsebriy wrote his last post on Facebook three days before the news of his death. Oleksandr Tsebriy’s call sign was ‘Mayor’.
Local journalists edited a short video “Dedicated to the real…” with footage of the former mayor of Uman.
