"Famous Fellow Countryman" Rubizhne Off The Beaten Path Tip by hunterV

Smirnov Street (formerly School Street) is located in the Old Town between Doichev Street and General Ivanov Street.
It is 1,385 meters long.
Vladimir Smirnov (May 20, 1954, - July 29, 1982) is our famous fellow countryman.
He was born in Rubizhne.
By the way, he finished the same school as me: School No. 3.
What’s more, I was priviled to see him once when a schoolboy. He came to his former school to attend the traditional Reunion on the first Saturday of February, 1975.
We all rushed to the gym where the party was taking place to see the famous champion.
Vladimir Smirnov was a fencing champion.
He became an Olympic champion in fencing during the 22nd Olympic Games in Moscow.
Within the seventeen years of his sporting career he set eleven world records and received 160 medals.
He died in July 1982 after he had been mortally wounded by a German fencer Matheus Behr whose foil broke, but he continued fencing and hit Vladimir Smirnov right into his eye with his broken foil. Smirnov died at the Vatican hospital nine days after he got his terrible wound.
Vladimir Smirnov was buried at Lukianovo Military Cemetery in Kiev. There is a bronze Smirnov monument in Moscow.
Smirnov Street appeared in Rubizhne on September 16, 1988 when School Street was renamed into Smirnov Street.
Now there is Smirnov monument opposite the militia administration building in Smirnov Street.

Website: http://www.rubizhne.lg.ua