Pavlo Sadokha, the long-time president of the Ukrainian Association in Portugal, died on Sunday at the age of 56, the Ukrainian embassy in Portugal and the Ukrainian World Congress said on Monday.
The Ukrainian embassy in Portugal said in a post on X that it felt profound sadness over the death of the association's long-time president, describing him as someone who had dedicated more than two decades of his life to Ukraine and to the Ukrainian community in Portugal.
The Ukrainian World Congress, an umbrella organisation representing Ukrainian communities around the world, said Sadokha had also served as its vice-president for Southern Europe and as vice-president of its International Council for Educational Coordination.
Tributes from Ukrainian World Congress
In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation said Sadokha had devoted decades of his life to Ukraine and to serving the Ukrainian community in Portugal. It said he had been a key member of the World Congress's leadership and had played a decisive role in setting up the Ukrainian Youth Association, known as CYM, in Portugal.
The organisation added that for many years Sadokha had been one of the strongest voices defending Ukrainians living in Portugal.
Paul Grod, president of the Ukrainian World Congress, said Sadokha had been a highly respected leader of the Ukrainian community both in Portugal and internationally. Grod described him as a close friend and someone he could always count on, saying Sadokha had cared deeply and had dedicated his life to serving Ukraine and its people around the world. Grod called his death an immense loss, said he would be greatly missed, and said his memory would be eternal.
Foreign minister leads condolences
Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, also mourned Sadokha's death, describing him as the true heart and voice of the Ukrainian community in Portugal.
In a post on Facebook, Sybiha said Sadokha had been one of those rare leaders for whom the fight for Ukraine knew no days off or holidays. He said Sadokha had worked for Ukraine for years and that whenever the state needed special support, he was among those who stepped forward to do even more.
Sybiha said Sadokha's sudden death was an immense loss for the Ukrainian community in Portugal and for Ukrainians around the world. He said Ukraine had lost a tireless defender of the country, a trusted adviser and a warm, radiant person with a big heart.
Who was Pavlo Sadokha
The Ukrainian Association in Portugal represents the country's Ukrainian community, which grew substantially after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sent large numbers of Ukrainians abroad. The Ukrainian World Congress, an international coordinating body for Ukrainian diaspora organisations, has played a prominent role in rallying support for Ukraine among communities in dozens of countries since the invasion began.
