The name of Albert Radchenko, who voluntarily joined the army, was honoured during the "Tree of Memory" ceremony.
On the fourth anniversary of the full-scale war, a ceremony to honour the memory of Ukraine's fallen defenders was held in Zaporizhzhia. The "Tree of Memory" memorial now features new bells that remind about heroes, who gave their lives defending the country's freedom.
Among them is the name of Albert Radchenko, call sign "Toyota." His wife Olena hung a bell bearing his name on the tree.
Albert Radchenko was born on 20 October 1975 in Zaporizhzhia. He attended the school No. 40 and finished the vocational school No. 6. The man worked as a charge feeder at Zaporizhstal's blast furnace shop for almost 25 years.
"By December 2022, he would have completed 25 years at the plant and could have retired. However, he volunteered for the front in February 2022, during the first days of the war. I knew that he would go. I understood it. Even though nobody believed there would be a war. I hoped until the last moment that it would not happen... but it did."
Albert joined a local brigade of the Territorial Defence Forces in early days of the full-scale invasion. In April 2022, he joined the territorial defence company of the Vasylkiv military commissariat in Zaporizhzhia region, serving alongside his brother.
"He served with us in the Zaporizhzhia sector, on the Orikhiv direction. That is where he fell. He was a commander of a reconnaissance squad. I cannot name the exact unit... but that was our sector. He was there.”
Albert Radchenko had the call sign "Toyota" because of his beloved Toyota Corolla, the car he took with him to the front.
The defender was killed on 6 January 2023 near the village of Novoandriivka in Zaporizhzhia region. Albert suffered many injuries while performing his combat mission. He was 47 years old.
Fellow soldiers told his family that Albert always saved everyone ‒ both on the battlefield and in daily life. When Russian soldiers set wheat fields on fire, he helped extinguish the flames. When villages nearby were bombed, he assisted in evacuating civilians and delivered food to those who remained there.
Albert has a knee injury ‒ an artificial patella. However, that did not stop him, Olena says:
"When he joined the army as a volunteer, there were not proper medical checks. Everyone, who wanted to serve, could serve. Some of the guys were in insulin. So, the artificial patella was no obstacle. He did not even think about it. He just went."
Albert's brother also served with him for a time, but later he was discharged according to the law, since the family had already lost one son and the elderly parents remained at home.
Albert loved an active lifestyle. Before the war, he was a diver. Together with friends, he cleaned the Dnipro River and released fish into it. He dreamed of diving in the lakes of Norway and travelling the world.
"He was passionate about spearfishing. He was part of the Underwater Hunters' Federation. They regularly took part in events, bought juvenile fish from fish farms, and restocked the Dnipro. They often organised river clean-ups. The guys cleaned the riverbed, while the wives and children cleaned the bank. A lot of garbage was collected. This was his last and greatest hobby," Olena recalls.
Albert is survived by his parents, brother, wife, daughter, and son. His son Timur currently lives in Zaporizhzhia with Olena, while his daughter Angelina had left Ukraine before the war.
"He and his son always spent time together. They went cycling, often visited Khortytsia, and took part in competitions across Ukraine. They spent a lot of time together," says Olena.
After Albert's death, Olena donated his car to the military.
"His Toyota Corolla remained, and I gave it to the guys on one of the fronts. They needed a vehicle. It is still being used and is helping," she says.
Albert was buried at the Right Bank Cemetery in Zaporizhzhia.
Now his name is among those that ring in the wind. Each chime on the "Tree of Memory" serves as a reminder of the soldier who defended Ukraine.
"This is important. Important to remember. Important that our children know. This must not be forgotten, because so many live have been lost," Olena says.
