This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Vitaly Tsikoza's office sits just as he left it.
His books are shelved, his houseplants are watered and his paperwork remains meticulously organized. All seem to signal the software engineer's return.
But Tsikoza's office in Novosibirsk, Russia, will remain empty.
Tsikoza fell to his death late last Sunday while descending a treacherous mountainside of loose stones and vertical drops near Timpanogos Cave to try to save his friend's 3-year-old daughter, who had tumbled from the trail.
The child, Paulina Filippova, had wandered off the trail while toying with a potato chip can. In Tsikoza's haste to reach her, he slid down a 50-foot cliff then fell about 200 feet, authorities say.
"In a way he is lucky," said the girl's father, Andrey Filippov. "He died saving a human life. I would wish such a death for myself."
Tsikoza leaves behind a 13-year-old daughter and a reputation as an adept software engineer for the Novosibirsk-based Excelsior.
Known for his attention to detail and error-free computer codes, Tsikoza worked as a project manager for a software company that provides consulting and software development services to clients in Asia, Europe and North America.
One week after his death, colleagues haven't touched his office except to water plants. Excelsior Chief Executive Officer Andrey Khapugin said the man's death has left the company's 25 employees mourning. Each knew Tsikoza personally, some for decades.
"It is very hard to come into the room where his desk is," Khapugin told The Salt Lake Tribune. "I haven't got used to the fact that we will never see him again."
Khapugin described Tsikoza as a man of considerable experience who got his start in programming at age 9. He loved order and demanded accuracy.
Natalia Glagoleva, now living in Seattle, came to know Tsikoza at Novosibirsk State University and remembered him as a career-minded student with a keen intellect and witty sense of humor.
She called the fall a tragedy, saying Tsikoza died in his prime. Although saddened by her colleague's death, she said his sacrifice comes as no surprise.
"It was natural for him," she said. "What else could he do? He heard a child in trouble."
Paulina's mother, Olga, can't help but feel that Tsikoza took her daughter's place, sacrificing his life for hers. She grieves but is grateful.
"It was his fate to have this ultimate test," the girl's father said. "He passed this test."