With unshakable faith in Ukraine's victory, war veteran and currently a mechanic of convoy No. 1 of the Northern Iron Ore, Volodymyr Zolotaryov, entered the Metinvest Polytechnic Technical University in the summer of 2022. At that time, he was defending the country as part of the 129th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defence. About the experience of working at the Northern Iron Ore, the front and training for the future – in the hero's story.
It is quite difficult for Volodymyr Zolotaryov to find free time to talk about himself now. His life is scheduled almost minute by minute. At work, he is currently temporarily performing the duties of a convoy commander. While we are talking, Volodymyr is simultaneously solving production issues, because he needs to schedule job orders for the next day for the entire vehicle fleet. After work, he studies online at Metinvest Polytechnic, and he also has a family – a wife, son and daughter. On his weekends, the man travels to the defenders' locations on volunteer business.
Born to be a leader
Vladimir jokes about himself that he was born behind the wheel. He says that for as long as he can remember, he has always had cars around him. The man probably got this talent from his father, Igor Yuriyovych, who worked for a long time as a dump truck driver in the mining transport workshop No. 2 of the Northern Iron Ore. After graduating from the Sofiyivka Vocational Lyceum, Vladimir came to this enterprise with the driving license of a tractor driver in 2008. Then there was military service, and then the guy returned to mining transport workshop No. 2. He drove a fuel tanker, a duty car, an emergency car, and later he switched to a giant dump truck, like his dad, and worked until the start of the full-scale russian attack.
In the Territorial Defence Forces
"On the day the war started, I woke up earlier than usual for some reason. I was walking, turned on the TV, and the news reported about missile attacks on the territory of Ukraine. I quickly found my military ID and ran off on business. I barely managed to explain to my wife what was going on and why. And on February 26, as part of the 129th Brigade of the Territorial Defence, I defended the airfield near the military town. Later, we were transferred to the Kherson direction. It was a little bit hard for us there. I received a couple of concussions, but the mood was such that we had to move forward. We had to drive the enemy away from our city," recalls Volodymyr Zolotaryov.
Together with his comrades, Volodymyr participated in the liberation of the Kherson region. They drove the occupiers all the way to the Dnipro River. For a while, his mortar battery held positions on the coastal part of Nikopol, which the Russians “sprayed” with artillery from the opposite occupied bank. Then there was treatment in the hospital. During this time, the battery was sent to the Donetsk region. The suburbs of Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, and another wound, and then serious problems with the spine Volodymyr underwent surgery in Lviv, after which he underwent treatment and rehabilitation for a year. And in June 2024, he was discharged from service due to health reasons.
War does not hinder education
Even before the war, Volodymyr Zolotaryov had a desire to get a higher education. Then he suddenly heard about the foundation of the first non-state technical university, Metinvest Polytechnic, in Mariupol. He found contacts, called, but it turned out that the first intake of students was planned only for the next year. Time passed, the great war began, and six months after the start, given his good organizational skills and professionalism, Volodymyr was offered a position in the officer corps But he lacked higher education. That's when the man returned to the idea of entering higher education, especially since the online learning process had already been established. The admissions committee of Metinvest Polytechnic told him about the admission requirements and the list of specialties by phone.
Volodymyr became interested in open-pit mining. Moreover, thanks to his long-term work in the Hannivsky quarry as a dump truck driver, the man understood all technological processes.
"I entered the university. I listened to lectures when there was internet. I entered the platform from my phone Later I bought myself a laptop. All the guys knew that when I was studying, I couldn't be distracted. That's how I studied between fights. I passed the first session well, because the program there is more for repetition. I continued my studies in the hospital. We have wonderful teachers; they know how to interest, but they know the theory well, and I know the practice That's why I'm often asked to tell how it all really works using the example of the Hannivsky quarry. I'm currently in my fourth year, and I'll be protecting my degree work in the spring. I'm currently making efforts to master Excel and PowerPoint because I didn't need to use these programs before," said Volodymyr.
The volunteer mission is underway
Volodymyr Zolotaryov spends most of his weekends driving his van. He knows many volunteers and never stops helping those who are currently at the front. They go to the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy directions He says that help is always needed. Starting from warm socks, thermal underwear, gloves, balaclavas, hygiene products, power banks to electronic warfare systems, thermal imagers, and drones And of course, goodies. These immediately lift the spirits of adult, stern men. Volodymyr has no doubt that we will be able to defend our land. That is why he lives, works, helps and studies.
