Born in Poltava (Russian Empire, now Ukraine), Skrypnyk attended the Poltava First Classical Gymnasium and dreamt of a military career through his youth.
bˈɔːɹn ɪn poʊltˈɑːvə ɹˈʌʃən ˈɛmpaɪɚ, nˈaʊ juːkɹˈeɪn, skɹˈɪpnɪk ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðə poʊltˈɑːvə fˈɜːst klˈæsɪkəl dʒɪmnˈeɪsiəm ænd dɹˈɛmpt əvə mˈɪlətˌɛɹi kɚɹˈɪɹ θɹuː hɪz jˈuːθ.