JUNE 1, 1974 — APRIL 26, 2024
49 YEARS, CAMERAMAN
Yuriy died while helping others. Risking his life, he saved men, not in an armored vehicle, but in a civilian jeep-pickup truck. Just before his death, he evacuated his comrades from the battlefield. This happened near the village of Keramik, Donetsk region.
"There was no order to evacuate. He just heard it on the radio, didn’t wait for permission, if he could or couldn’t, he just flew in and got them out. He saved five," says his friend.
Before being mobilized, Yuriy worked for a long time at Volyn TV and «Hromadske TV» (Volyn), and also collaborated with national TV channels.
Since 2014, Yuriy was part of the Volyn „Samooborona”. He joined after an incident while on duty. Back then, he was filming stories for "Night Watch." When the police needed help, he put down the camera and started assisting them. At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Yuriy grabbed his pre-packed backpack and went to the front.
Yuriy was from Lutsk. He was always seeking new experiences: working in printing, as a TV cameraman, cash courier, and taxi driver. He traveled the whole country on his motorcycle, often taking his daughter along. In his hometown, he was known as a cameraman, biker, and Samooborona activist. On Children's Day—on his birthday—he would gather his biker friends for charity events at orphanages and children's homes.
"Our Yurchyk," that’s what his grandmother and all the relatives called him. He grew up, but he was still Yurchyk," says his cousin.
A month before his death, he bought a new bike—an early birthday present to himself. This year, he was eager to make it home for his birthday and gather his friends, even asking his commander for leave in advance. On June 1, Yuriy would have turned 50.
A farewell for the soldier took place in Lutsk at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, and he was laid to rest in the Alley of Glory in the village of Harazdzha.
