October 26 left a notable mark on the history of the Korabelnyi District and Mykolaiv. On this day, the port “Oktyabrsk” officially adopted its new name, a legendary urban gardener gifted magnolias to the city, and a Mykolaiv volunteer became embroiled in a high-profile dispute with the president. The date is also associated with quarantine restrictions, the unveiling of a protective mural, the remembrance of fallen defenders, and a tragedy that claimed the lives of two children.
October 26, 2014: Six reports of bombs planted at polling stations
On the day of the snap parliamentary elections, law enforcement officers in Mykolaiv received reports that 6 polling stations had been rigged with explosives. All the reports proved false. One of the sites where a threat was reported was School No. 26 in Electoral District No. 128, which included the Korabelnyi District. People were evacuated and the premises were inspected, after which voting resumed.
October 26, 2016: Port “Oktyabrsk” officially adopted the name “Olvia”
In Mykolaiv, the charter of the state enterprise “Olvia Stevedoring Company” was officially registered. It had previously been called “Oktyabrsk Specialized Sea Port.” The company’s director, Ruslan Oliinyk, called this a new chapter in the history of the port, which is especially important to the industry of the Korabelnyi District.
October 26, 2017: Legendary urban gardener from Korabelnyi gifts magnolias to the city
Magnolias were planted at the Mykolaiv Zoo using saplings donated by Vadym Serdtsev, a well-known resident of the Korabelnyi District. A former employee of the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, he devoted more than 20 years to greening the city and planted over 20,000 trees and shrubs with his own hands. He later became an Honorary Citizen of Mykolaiv. The legendary urban gardener passed away on September 20, 2025, at the age of 95. Residents of the Korabelnyi District are now discussing commemorating him by naming one of the squares after him.
October 26, 2019: Zelensky argues with a Mykolaiv volunteer
During President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Zolote in the Luhansk region, a high-profile dispute erupted with Mykolaiv volunteer Denys Yantar. They argued over the disengagement of forces and possible concessions to Russia. During that conversation, Zelenskyy said, “I’m not some kind of sucker,” a phrase that made headlines across Ukrainian media. Less than a year later, on September 9, 2020, 31-year-old Denys Yantar died suddenly from an aggressive form of leukemia. The disease had only been diagnosed in August of that year.
October 26, 2020: Mykolaiv enters the “red” quarantine zone
As COVID-19 spread, restrictions in the “red” quarantine zone came into effect in Mykolaiv for at least 2 weeks. Restaurants, cinemas, and shopping and entertainment venues were closed to visitors, while the operation of educational institutions was restricted. The city was going through one of the most difficult periods of the pandemic.
October 26, 2022: “Tree of Life” mural unveiled in Korabelnyi
Artists Olena Martynova and Dmytro Slepukha unveiled the “Tree of Life” mural in the Korabelnyi District, measuring 3 meters high and about 9 meters wide. It was the third wall painting in a series of murals meant to protect the city. The artists completed the work the previous week, and, according to their concept, the mural’s symbols were intended to protect Mykolaiv from invaders.
October 26, 2023: Korabelnyi District receives tragic news about fallen defenders
The editorial team reported the death of 39-year-old Denys Smerkalov from Balabanivka, known by the call sign “Vechir.” From the start of the full-scale invasion, he had defended his home district as part of the territorial defense forces. On June 21, 2023, he was killed during a combat mission in the Kherson region. On that same October 26, news emerged of the death of Pavlo Papushoy of the 79th Brigade, son of Vitalii Papushoy, a chaplain from the Korabelnyi District. Both defenders were to be laid to rest the following day.
October 26, 2025: The night begins that will end with the deaths of two young children
At around 10:00 p.m., a resident of Mykolaiv left her 4-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter alone in a locked apartment and went to a café. As was later reported in court, the children were poisoned by carbon monoxide from a gas water heater. Their mother found their bodies the next morning, on October 27, when she returned home. The woman was notified that she was suspected of a crime, and the court ordered her held in custody with the possibility of bail.
This day in Ukraine and around the world
On October 26, 2021, the Armed Forces of Ukraine used a Bayraktar TB2 strike drone for the first time in combat in the Donbas. Near Hranitne, it struck a D-30 howitzer that was shelling Ukrainian positions. The order to use the drone was given by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
On that same October 26, 2021, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled that the collection of “Scythian gold,” which had been in the Netherlands during Russia’s occupation of Crimea, should be returned to Ukraine. This was an important legal victory for Ukraine in its efforts to reclaim its cultural heritage.
That is how this date is remembered in the history of Mykolaiv: from the development of the port and magnolias in city parks to wartime losses and personal tragedies. The residents of the Korabelnyi District hold a special place in this history—those who worked, created, defended the city, and left behind fond memories.
Previously, we wrote:
- Billions in investment and a suspended concession: the future of the Port of Olvia
- Squares may “swap” names: Korabelnyi seeks a place to honor Vadym Serdtsev
- “Road to the Unconquered VI”: Denys Yantar remembered at a tournament in Mykolaiv
- A childhood cut short: two children die in Mykolaiv while their mother is at a café
- President asked to award the title of Hero of Ukraine to Denys Smerkalov, who defended the Korabelnyi District
