Denis Lisitsyn

There are some situations that can’t be fixed. They can only be managed. It was the middle of summer, and Denis was safely riding his motorcycle, another half-season behind him. Then something suddenly went wrong on the road. He was going at a low speed, but the accident couldn’t be avoided.

"They wanted to cut off my right leg, but thanks to the doctors we were able to save it," Denis recalls. After several stages of intensive care and a long hospital stay, he literally spent a year and a half learning to walk again. Two crutches, then one. Afterwards, a walking stick. Finally, he was able to stand and walk on his own, without support.

Denis was about 25 years old when this happened. Now he's over 45. Several years ago, his second child was born. A slight limp makes it difficult to forget the accident entirely, but over the years he has learned to walk in such a manner that his injury is barely noticeable to those around him.

"Yes, from the point of view of our healthcare system, I have group III disability, but I don't consider myself disabled. The way you perceive yourself is very important. That's how you will be treated by others," says Denis. “It’s not easy, of course. At first, feeling sorry for yourself is really tempting. I had to find the strength not to get stuck at this stage.”

And Denis does have strength. His boxing coach, who he trains with at the Kaspersky gym, knows that. As does his partner in regular trophy-raids. Nowadays Denis only rides a motorcycle on vacations in warm countries, but he does like to drive off-road in Moscow’s suburbs. His old UAZ (a rugged Russian jeep), reassembled more than once in his garage after work, is another hobby. But it’s not the only one.

Four strings, seven notes and one "critical core error" — a few years ago, in the depths of Kaspersky, the band Kernel Panic was born, where Denis plays the bass. This name was chosen because almost all the band members are working on Mac products. A kernel panic is a message about a critical kernel error in Apple’s operating systems, and it means a system reset is required. The bandmates like heavy music and specialize in rock and metal covers. Every now and then, you can catch them at the BarKAS restaurant, during Rock Around The K, a corporate music event.