Hlib Ye. Koshcheiev (Koshchei)

19-year-old Gleb Koshcheyev (call sign Koshchey) was killed in action on May 4, 2022, during a combat mission at the "Azovstal" plant in Mariupol. The young man's life was cut short by a direct hit from a shell. Gleb was born in the city of Krolevets in the Sumy region. From childhood, he was very goal-oriented, independent, and never refused to help others. After completing the 9th grade, he entered the Kyiv Electromechanical Vocational College, where he stu to become a machinist. He dreamed of driving trains. However, on the 3rd year, he withdrew his documents from the college, disappointed with the quality of professional training. He decided to go for military service. In November 2021, Gleb became a recruit at the 3057th unit of the National Guard of Ukraine, which was based in the city of Mariupol. On February 20, 2022, the young man took up the position of a master of equipment repair. Just four days later, a full-scale war began. While there was still communication in Mariupol, Gleb's parents maintained contact with their son. He told them that in the first days, he was literally falling from exhaustion due to the amount of work. The defender was almost constantly engaged in loading military supplies. When the city began to be surrounded, Gleb moved to "Azovstal," where he continued to carry out combat missions. "My son was very goal-oriented and independent. From the age of 13, he was constantly looking for work, he didn't want to take money from us. He could study during the day and work at night – all to achieve his goal. Gleb earned money for his first car on his own. He entered his studies in Kyiv on his own. It was like that in everything," says Gleb's mother, Oksana Koshcheyeva. The defender left behind his parents and older sister. On May 24, 2022, Gleb Koshcheyev was posthumously awarded the Order "For Courage" III degree. His parents took an active part in arranging the Alley of Memory and Hope in the defender's hometown. On the anniversary of Gleb's death, his family planted juniper trees on the Alley and installed a memorial plaque with the defender's name. One of the streets in the city of Krolevets now bears the name of Gleb Koshcheyev.