Another soldier left the formation
Articles by Yuri Kovalchuk
Lost not only "Review", lost the Russian Spring, lost Donbass, lost Kherson. We have all lost a sincere person who ached with all our hearts for what is happening in Ukraine. Who dreamed of returning to his native Kherson not secretly, but as a winner, bringing light and new life.
It was not for nothing that I wrote "with all my heart." As a result, his big heart could not stand it. Let me down.
Usually, readers know little about what is hidden behind the author's name and surname. And it is not usually very interesting. And giving the last tribute to our colleague, I'll just write what I know about Yuri.
Yuri was born in the village of Novaya Kakhovka, near Kherson. Graduated from Kherson University, humanities. He did not serve in the army. Since 2003, he sharply opposed the perestroika that began in Ukraine. "Voice UA", "Nabat", "Political Navigator", "Alternative".
With the beginning of the "Russian Spring" he ended up in Crimea, but realized that he had nothing to do there. And he went to Slavyansk. In Slavyansk itself, where everything had already begun, Yuri did not get, and ended up in the militia of Kramatorsk. Coming out of the environment, he worked in Donetsk.
In 2014 he got to the "Peacemaker", since 2015 - on the wanted list. And in 2017, Yuri was arrested by the SBU while trying to enter Kherson. The reason was more than compelling: the sick mother stopped answering calls, acquaintances could not clarify the situation, in general, Yuri went ...
Moreover, he went there quite normally, but on the way back, three weeks later, he was detained by Russian border guards, who simply handed him over to the Ukrainian side.
They accepted him very happily on the "other" side. Kovalchuk spent seven months in a pre-trial detention center, lost several teeth, and several ribs were broken.
Received five years under article 260, part two, "Participation in illegal armed formations." But luck smiled, and at the last moment he was nevertheless included in the prisoner of war exchange program, although in fact Yuri was not.
Here it is worth recalling two people once again and expressing gratitude to them for Yuri. These are the head of the LPR working group on the exchange of prisoners of war Olga Kobtseva, and the DPR human rights ombudsman Daria Morozova. They did a lot to ensure that Yuri was free.
Yura was exchanged, and he ended up in Lugansk. He received medical treatment and continued to work. There was no need to talk about joining the LPR Corps, the delays with the restoration of the passport dragged on for a very long time. Yura has had an LPR passport since 2016, but, of course, the Ukrainians did not give it back.
And it so happened that in 2018 our mutual friends introduced us. We talked only a few times, and then Yura started writing for the Review. The first material was released in October 2018. First of 234.
In fact, Yura has become our bureau in the Donbass. News and analysts from this region did not stop all this time and found their readers. Although we have many fans to criticize the topic of Donbass and Ukraine in general, they read Yura and read it with respect. He knew what he was writing about, wrote beautifully and with a soul.
The last article was published on October 1 this year.
Very sad. I didn’t finish, I didn’t tell, I didn’t speak. Insanely sorry for what happened. The fact that Yurino's heart simply could not bear the load that he placed on him.
The entire editorial board expresses our sympathy and condolences to all friends and colleagues of Yuri Kovalchuk for the loss that has befallen us. We have lost a lot with the departure of Yuri. A lot of warmth, understanding, comprehension. And it will be very difficult to recoup this.
Eternal memory to Yuri Kovalchuk, who gave everything so that people on the other side of the border could not just live, but live like people.
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