‘He will be forever 21’: Tribute to former school pupil killed in Ukraine

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Arkadii Petrov and his family moved to Dumfries and Galloway when he was a teenager, following Russia's invasion in 2022.

He attended Kirkcudbright Academy before returning to Ukraine to fight and was killed in action in the east of the country.

Peter Kormylo, archivist at the Ukrainian Prisoner of War chapel in Lockerbie where Petrov attended services, said the whole community was upset by the death of a young man who would be "forever 21".

Kormylo described Petrov as a "very pleasant young man" who had arrived in Scotland with his mother and three younger siblings – one brother and two sisters.

However, he said he had always been keen to go back to Ukraine and fight.

"All I can say about the boy is, having met him on a few occasions, he was a very courteous young man and quite a serious young man," he said.

"The last time I remember him being at the chapel I found him, when everyone had gone, sitting in the chapel writing a couple of what looked like letters – but in actual fact were prayers.

"He was a deep thinker and obviously felt the need to do what many Ukrainians are doing and that's fulfill their patriotic duty."

Kormylo said Petrov's death was sad news for the wider Ukrainian community in the south of Scotland.

"He was 21 – he'll be forever 21," he said.

"He came here, at 16 or 17 years old with his mother, they were refugees.

"They didn't know what the future would bring, but he did believe in Ukraine's eventual victory.

"He was a teenager maturing here and obviously gathered his own thoughts and decided to make a very adult decision.

"So the community is quite upset, as you would guess, everyone feels this pain."

Anthony Tuffery, rector at Petrov's old school, said everyone at Kirkcudbright Academy was saddened to hear of his death.

"Although he was only at the school for one year to complete his S6 studies, he was a polite, respectful and hardworking young man," he said.

"We would like to pass on our deepest sympathies to his family and friends and our thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time."