Yurii Antonov, combat medic and renowned cheesemaker from Kyiv, is killed in action
Yurii Antonov, a combat medic from Kyiv who was a cheesemaker in civilian life, has been killed in combat.
He received fatal injuries in battle near Yampil in Donetsk Oblast on 12 August.
The tragic news was reported by the soldier's wife, Tania Koliada.
"My Yura has been killed. He suffered fatal injuries in battle near Yampil, Kramatorsk district, Donetsk Oblast, on 12 August.
The farewell will take place in Kyiv on Friday. I will let you know the details later," she wrote.
Before the full-scale invasion, Yurii was the director of Cheesemania, an artisan cheesemakers’ cooperative, and organised cheese festivals.
Yurii had a wife and daughter. He was a caring husband and father.
Valentyna Zahabura wrote in a tribute: "He was the best charades player ever, and a mega-cool dad to his wonderful little girl, Zlata. [When acting out charades], he’d show words or concepts in such a way that there was no chance of guessing them because everyone would be on the floor in fits of laughter. He was an incredibly romantic man who invented and arranged gifts for his beloved wife Tania from the front, ordering sushi or zucchini, because [he said] a loved one should not be left without a zucchini given by someone in the summer [this was evidently something Yurii believed in – ed.].
A cheesemaker and a connoisseur of almost every artisan cheesemaker in Ukraine. An organiser and participant in cheese festivals. And also a connoisseur of wines that go perfectly with a crazy amount of cheeses (and unlike cheeses, he didn't consume alcohol).
An instructor in tactical medicine. A combat medic who rescued his comrades, replaced the wounded company medic, and would give up his sleeping bag to a cat… Yura was killed by Russian artillery fire. My friend and my friend's husband."
Friends, colleagues and customers who tasted his cheeses have been sharing fond memories of Yurii on social media.
"We started our cheese businesses almost at the same time; we met at Vsi.Svoi [a popular food market in Kyiv – ed.]," recalls Olena Zarianova. "After that, we just used to be next door to each other at almost all the festivals. [Yurii was] always smiling, always responsible, always ready to help.
Yurka died defending our country. I can't believe it; I can't accept it. Yura is no longer with us. This damned war!"
"You wrote that you wouldn't sell any more cheese until we’d won the war. Now no one will taste it. It hurts so much..." writes Kateryna Bezsudna.
"It was an honour to know Yurii, to taste [his] cheese at Volodymyrskyi market, and to discover new cheese flavours."
"Today we received the news that the husband of my friend, who I’m very close to, has been killed. And the world will never be the same again," Svitlana Kediaieva said. "Because he was such a beautiful and bright person, they were such a sunny-natured couple, and now the life has gone out of everything.
These f**kers have destroyed such a shining universe… in the eyes of my friend, and her daughter, they have taken away a part of all of us whom Yura will never feed with his delicious cheeses again. There is no forgiveness; there never will be."
"Sadly, Yura will no longer offer you cheese produced by Ukrainian cheesemakers. Sadly, Yura will not organise or open the Ukraine Cheese Awards Day," wrote Yuliia Solodka.
"We will shed tears for him for a long time, and we’ll cry out loud, which will bring us no comfort. But we are still here, and we can do what he did for himself – in his memory, as long as we are alive!"
Reminder:
- Dmytro Buival, a resident of Sumy, known as a "living sculpture" and mime performer of fire and pyrotechnic shows, was killed at the front.
- Yuliia Shevchenko, a military officer and employee of the NACP, also gave her life for Ukraine.
- Andrii Babinskyi, the organiser of the Megamarch in embroidered shirts, was also killed in action for Ukraine.
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