In Finland, a deacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, died while rescuing a drowning child

A tragedy has occurred in Finland: Deacon Vladislav Volkov, a clergyman of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, died while saving the life of a child who had become trapped in a whirlpool. This was reported by Father Silvestr Shevchenko of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Facebook.

The incident occurred on June 21, 2026, while the family was spending time at a body of water. Seeing that a child had been caught in a whirlpool and was beginning to drown, Deacon Vladislav Volkov rushed to the child’s aid without hesitation. Thanks to the clergyman’s decisive actions, the child was pulled from the water and saved; however, the heroic rescuer himself was unable to reach the shore and lost his life.

It is known that Vladislav Volkov had been deeply involved in church life from a young age, rising through the ranks from altar boy to seminarian and deacon. The deceased clergyman is survived by two young children, aged one and three, as well as his elderly parents, for whom he was their only son. Those close to the deceased describe his act as a manifestation of the highest self-sacrificing love, in keeping with Christian ideals.