“God, if I win a million, I won’t spend all the money on myself”: the family of the deceased hero helps children in memory of him

- You know, I still can’t come to terms with the fact that Denis is gone. He is 12 years older and was my brother and even dad, because my mother raised us herself, - told defender’s sister Irina Khudchenko. - It was he who taught me to write, read, always stressed that I should be the best with him in every sense. When I went to school, Denis was taken into the army, he served in the Desna. He liked the profession of a tanker. However, my brother had to be recalled because it was very difficult for us to cope financially with all the problems. Returning home, Denis found work at a local agricultural enterprise. Whom he just was not - both a combine operator and a tractor driver, he worked even at night. Mom kept the household, worked as a janitor, a technician at school. One day, my brother was sent to Odessa for drill courses, after which he was hired to work at a factory for the production of Japanese cars. Denis turned the details, and he did it very well. Having settled there, he took me and my mother to Odessa. We lived there for three years, I went to school, my brother, as the best worker, was even given a silver drill as a gift. My brother did not have time for himself, although we repeatedly asked him to take a break, to pay attention to his personal life. However, Denis said that he was afraid to get married, because he was worried that his children would not live as hard as we do …

Then it happened that the plant went bankrupt. And then we decided to return to Nikolaevka. Denis began to go to work in Ukraine, then we began to sow our land. Mom created a farm, took loans, brotherin order to economize, he himself got into a tractor or combine harvester and collected grain. Moreover, he was also hired in parallel to help others. Then she got the education of a teacher and became another breadwinner in our family. So it got a little easier. We all lived together and very friendly. The money they earned was invested in home repairs, furniture, they wanted to break out of this yoke. And we succeeded. But an anti-terrorist operation broke into our usual life.

- Denis was one of the first to go to war?

- You can say that. Once Denis said that he would go to war so that the invaders, who had already taken Crimea, would not come to the Odessa region. Then they still didn’t pay everyone, and there wasn’t enough ammunition, but this didn’t stop my brother. Mom begged her brother to change his mind. Since Denis was operated on for a hernia on his spine during his service in the Desna, he was not suitable for health reasons. But we did not even know about this, because the brother hid. To get into the army, Denis went to tricks and somehow agreed that he still became a military man. First he served in the 28th brigade, then in the 72nd separate mechanized brigade named after the Black Cossacks. Denis never hid in the rear, all the time on the front line - he passed Marinka, Avdiivka, Donetsk airport. A year later, he trained as a sniper and grenade launcher, having been trained with foreign military personnel. And then there was no such weapon from which the brother could not shoot.

For all the time he was probably only a month on vacation. There were two concussions, a groin wound. Often the brother complained that it hurt, then he stopped hearing one ear. In the army, he grew old, lost a lot of weight, experienced stress in every sense. But the thought of leaving the service never occurred to him. To support my brother and brothers, my mother and I constantly volunteered. They took meat, lard and processed it, baked pies so that the defenders would remember that they were taking care of them, and so that for a moment they could feel the taste and smell of home.

In 2018, Denis returned home, but he did not complain about the post-traumatic syndrome, he simply did not want to talk about what he had experienced. My brother had already left for work, but a year later his brothers called and called back. Like, there are not enough such experienced people and he could be an instructor. For some time Denis doubted, then he agreed. But at the stage of the medical examination, problems arose again due to his wounds. Again Denis decided to resort to tricks, and the documents were signed for him.

First, my brother went to the training ground to study, where he had a conflict with the command, because he did not agree with the rules that were dictated to him. It was about the fact that the soldier must be perfectly shaved, trimmed, and if not, they were fined all the time. To this, Denis replied that if you are in the hell of war and a comrade dies in your arms, then to hell with everything, the main thing is to save and survive yourself. But there’s an explanation brother even listen nthey wanted. He was already so annoyed that he just left everything and went to the highway, where he caught the bus. And then we received a letter that my brother had left a part. An investigation began, already during which the commander asked for forgiveness, because, they say, he did not know that he had so many survivors in front of him, and he was so morally mocked.

I felt so sorry for Denis then. Because there is no penny in the pocket, in the heart there is pain due to the loss of brothers, heat, hunger. You will not believe, but even this did not break the brother. He decided to extend his service. We were told that this was his last contract. And then he will buy a tractor and sow the land. We haven’t seen each other for a year and a half. And then my mother became paralyzed, and my brother finally came on leave to care for her. With her, he spent the moon in the hospital, we put her on her feet. But after that Denis returned to his brothers. He said that he would come at the end of February 2022 for my birthday. But two days later the great war began. Mom, when she heard about it, became ill, panic began. But my brother reassured me that everything was fine, it didn’t reach them. Naturally, he did not want to injure us morally. Although we asked to come on vacation, because he gave the same number of years of his life to the service. But Denis replied that there were few experienced people like him and that someone needed to be taught to replace him.

What is known about the circumstances of his brother’s death?

Mom was supposed to have a birthday on August 12th. Denis said that he was being replaced and that he would come. We were so happy about this, my mother bought him new clothes, at the same time made repairs in his room, planned a festive menu. The day before, on August 5, my brother said that he would not get in touch in the near future, because there should be heavy shelling and it was necessary to relocate. And he dropped a video to my husband, which showed a shell that fell near his dugout and did not explode. The next day I see that Denis was not in social networks. On August 8, I contacted his brethren who were in other positions. They asked not to worry, because Denis had been fighting for so long, so he was experienced. I calmed down a bit. However, the very next morning, a village head drove up to our house. Without a word, I realized that something irreparable had happened. He just told me: “Ira …”, and I screamed “No!”. He gave a funeral.

Then everything was like a fog. It turned out that on the same day when we talked with my brother, the offensive began. Denis put on his helmet and ran to his installation. He came under artillery fire. From the drone, the invaders threw a “cassette” at his feet. The guys ran to him, they believed that he was alive … But all the fragments flew into his face, neck. Death came on the spot.

We buried Denis with full honors in Nikolayevka. It’s almost a year and we’re still waiting for it. Every week we take his favorite red roses to the cemetery, he called them his talisman. It is difficult for my nephews to experience the loss, both of my children were baptized by my brother. As we buy sweets in the store, the daughter and son ask if we are bringing this to Uncle Denis. It hurts to the sky.

- Having received payments from the state, your family decided to do a good deed. How did you come to this opinion?

“We all know that opinions materialize. Once my brother and I played the lottery, and one day he said: “God, I will win a million, I won’t spend all the money on myself.” He then worked for a short time in a boarding school and loved children so much that he announced that he would spend money on them. Buy laptops, and buy something for kindergarten, and go to school. Denis was of the opinion that if you get something, you need to share it with others. My brother was kind by nature. More than once they lent him money and did not return it, so he never asked. And how much he just bought toys and sweets for kids. And when my mother received payments from the state, we decided to fulfill the will of Denis and do something good in his memory. The choice fell on the kindergarten, where our brother also went, because the playground there is already old, it would be good to update it. The manager was supportive. We ordered a good and high-quality complex and have already installed it. And the kids liked it. And we plan to buy something for the school, they choose for now. I guess, that Denis He sees this from heaven and is happy that we did so. I want to be remembered even after death. He deserves it, like every one of our warriors!

In the kindergarten, they admit in the administration, they are touched by the act of the family of a soldier who gave his life for Ukraine.

- Denis visited our institution, but, unfortunately, there are no educators left who worked with him. The warrior died, but the memory of him remained in our hearts, - said “FACT” Alena Kharkova, director of the Nikolaev institution of preschool education (nursery-kindergarten) No. 1 “Sun”. - When we learned that the family wanted to make a gift to the institution, we were moved to tears. If mother and sister have the strength to do good to people and prolong life, then this country will definitely not be broken. This play set will help instill courage and strength in kids. He has stairski, developing dexterity. Children know that our warriors defend the country, so we educate them as patriots from childhood.

Earlier told that a warrior, who was called an ideal person, died near Ugledar.