Filip Konowal

The portrait of a Hero: Fillip Konowal (The picture is taken from Wikipedia)

What forces an ordinary human to become a hero whom people remember for years? What must the real human do, so that to be recognized for a hundred kilometers across oceans and continents from his native land? Answer for that questions we shall get in our essay about a Ukrainian man, who was born more then a hundred years ago, but is remembered in the province of Quebec, Canada, at present moment.

Fillip Konowal was born in a village of Kytkivci in Podillia. At first he was a farmer, then organized his own bricklayery. In 1908 he was mobilized to the Russian army. In spite of his delicate physical form, he had a gift of an unusual courage and was an instructor of the bayonet fight. After he had served in the army, F. Konowal returns home but then he had to go to search for the job to keep his family. In 1913 he gets to Canadian city Vancouver.

Filip Konoval's military orders (Wikipedia)

With the beginning of the First World War the young Ukrainian man decided to join the Canadian expedition trunk, which formed the part to British army in fight with Germany. At the front F. Konowal displayed his heroism – he alone realized three well get outs to Germany battle positions. In reality, the brave Ukrainian alone changed the situation on that front area in favor of the British army. The hero was much written about in the British press and on October 19th 1917 the man was rewarded by Victoria Cross during a big military parade.

It is interesting to know, that on the meeting with the holders of such an order, English kings must salute first. The recipients of this reward by tradition don’t wear any other battle awards because the Victoria Cross is an example of a peculiar courage. F. Konowal is the only Ukrainian that was given the Victoria Cross. After a serious injury Konowal went on serving in the Army. He was rewarded by another orders, too: the Victory medal, the British War Medal, and the Cross of St. George, 4th class, among others. Then Filip entered the governor-general infantry in Ottawa. In 1953 360 King’s Canadian legion section in the city of Toronto chose F. Konowal as their patron.

The grave of a Hero (Wikipedia)

F. Konowal died at the age of 72. He was buried by his regiment with all military honours at Notre Dame de Lourdes Cemetery in Ottawa. The Hero of the First World War, Fillip Konowal, is recognized as a national hero of Canada and a patron of an elite sub-unit army – Ontario Legion. Such a life – full of courage, makes a hero of a human.