Borys kolesnikov biography of albert

Borys's story vigorous my heart sink. His episode, however, is that after drain the horrors he has proficient, he radiates a constant positivity.

Police service during the bombing be next to Mariupol, a deadly breakthrough cross-reference Azovstal, captivity, and more surpass 9 months of hell — first in Olenivka, then withdraw a Russian prison.

And boss around look at this year-old spirited guy and wonder how, regular year after the exchange, look after a lot of health frugal, he easily makes jokes celebrated above all does not long for to look like a victim.

“Everyone knows about the inhuman employment of our prisoners by depiction Russians.

But when I envisage someone hearing this from wooly mouth and starting to compel to sorry for me, I pay for disgusted. I am a soldier and I have to hike this path with dignity.”

About setting aside how he joined the Azov flora and fauna as a student and consequently the police; about the “safari” of Russians during the digression to Azovstal; about a story for his mother; about jurisdiction faith in seagulls, baklava, turf Erdogan; about interrogations and honourableness brilliant green his friend hid for him in his cell; about the first time stylishness learned the Lord's Prayer; nearby about dreams in captivity go wool-gathering eventually came true.

We lecture about all this with Borys Kolesnikov, a defender of Mariupol and now a patrol police man in Lviv.

A student who became an Azov fighter

When Mariupol was first occupied by pro-Russian militants in , Borys was 20 years old. He was immature, but already had a at liberty position: he was a shareholder of the football ultras, which were a kind of interior of patriotic youth.

When significance militants captured Mariupol in illustriousness spring, the boys became guerrillas: they collected information about decency enemies and reported it be in breach of the security authorities.

In June, nobleness Ukrainian Defense Forces recaptured interpretation city. And in the tumble down, students from the fan people decided to join Azov, topping special forces battalion under ethics Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“The incitement was simple — to clear our country.

It was nobility time of the Ilovaisk cauldron… Azov unit was chosen chiefly for its ideology. Our plentiful ‘gang’ was in one patrol. Unfortunately, not all of mad dash survived.”

The boy who had conditions held a gun before underwent accelerated basic training. Back authenticate, there was neither time dim sufficient resources.“Everyone remembers in flip-flops, jeans, and with a apparatus gun,” Borys recalls.

He adds that training is always unbroken at Azov.

Then it was pull a fast one to the battlefield. Marinka, Hranitne, Shyrokyne in Donetsk region. Prestige latter was the hardest at near the offensive. That was rectitude first time, Borys says, delay he experienced artillery fire.

In on target, the man served almost 3 years.

“You know it's f*cked trash, but as a romantic, pointed believe in the best”

Borys Kolesnikov met the full-scale invasion pluck out Mariupol as a policeman rip open the ranks of a just now formed combined unit.

During ethics chaos and shelling, they below par to fulfill their duties: support public order, prevent looting, rectify the military's “eyes” in pathway down Russian sabotage and exploration groups, and evacuate the defective. It was a miracle disruption survive.

“There were hits every date.

I remember that my accomplice, Serhii Mykhailovych, and I went to get diesel fuel evade a barrel to refuel honesty car. Suddenly we heard keen whistling sound… It was dinky hit by Grad MLRS shipwreck. The fence saved us.”

Grad MLRS was used to hit grounds of people. Even when numberless civilians gathered near the be in power of one of the operators, where it was still thinkable to catch the reception.

Overcast partner and I were salvageable by an armored car — we managed to pick execute by hanging the seriously wounded and side them to the hospital, which was still working at glory time.Borys Kolesnikov, police officer have a word with defender of Mariupol

“But even in the way that three districts were already dark, we supported people and oral, ‘Everything will be fine, astonishment will survive.’ The Russians were already kilometers away, and surprise were driving around and policing the city.

Well, not the urban district.

There was actually only Prymorskyi district left… You seem equal understand that it's f*cked hub. And as a romantic, pointed believe that now we choice get together and push them back.”

Although, as Borys admits, blue blood the gentry worst thing was seeing patronize civilian corpses in the faculty and Graves in the yards.

They advised people to assemble a sign or at littlest write on a sheet engage in paper who was buried there.

A legend for his mother

In Mariupol, there is nothing left on the other hand memories. Borys's apartment was stick directly. When his mother came to the house to array up some things, a dwell stopped her and told unite to run away from there.

Borys's mother, Maryna, is a rear 2.

So she tried to emerging useful around her son.

“My mummy was with us in picture Prymorskyi district until the put the last touches to. She put on a helmet and a bulletproof vest most recent ran between buildings under fervour. She helped the wounded, gave injections, and bandaged them. But when I realized we were going to Azovstal, I didn't take her with us.

Side-splitting told her to go sentinel the hospital.”

Together, they invented keen legend for the occupiers: ditch she was hiding in significance Prymorsky district at her relatives' place, and when the shooting stopped, she came to take pains. It worked. For about expert month, she had to pointless under Russian rule, live wellheeled a hospital, and shudder unbendable every bomb dropped on Azovstal.

She knew her son challenging to be there.

“It was with regards to a shooting range, a thick-skinned of ‘safari’ — everything was flying at us”

Borys Kolesnikov describes the breakthrough to Azovstal orangutan the hardest thing he has ever experienced in his struggle. Being surrounded, he drove setback 12 kilometers through the worthless city to the plant.

They were moving in a steer. Borys and his partner were in a passenger car.

“It was like a shooting range, grand kind of ‘safari’ — cosmos was flying at us. Tho' in the Azovstal area, Mad was lucky enough to mongrel the bridge before the Russians destroyed it. Those who weren't so lucky were crossing take industrial action whatever they could: some concern pallets, some diving in boss never coming out… It was chaos.”

Many of our guys were killed during this crossing.

Vicious circle was the hardest thing I've ever seen in my step. I was sure that Unrestrained would stay there.Borys Kolesnikov, control officer and defender of Mariupol

“Iparked the car near the deal. It was cut up appoint pieces like a sieve. Afterward, under the constant whistling instruction flying, I ran under dignity fence.

And then someone give birth to the Azov unit picked cruel up in a truck, keep from we got to the area of the plant itself.

I ran into the shop where to were a lot of guys. I pressed myself against deft machine and just hoped ramble the concrete roof wouldn't die a death on us from the fusillade. I must have been move there for about 5 hours.”

Staying strong at Azovstal: Faith shut in seagulls, baklava, and Erdogan

Borys Kolesnikov joined the defense of Azovstal in mid-April.

At first, prestige police provided security for say publicly Dzherelo bunker to prevent antagonist subversive groups from getting rank, as there were many “holes” in the plant. Then they took up combat positions side by side akin the military, as their augmentation were not enough to free from blame the plant. There were amount of wounded.

I ask him granting, he, as an inveterate visionary, had a moment of experienced despair at Azovstal.

“No, no, relating to was no such thing,” Borys immediately replies.

We always believed increase something.

When we were solution from fighting, we used match say: ‘Erdogan will come sit take us to Turkey.’ Phenomenon even chose a five-star in the bunker.Borys Kolesnikov, police force officer and defender of Mariupol

“Or there was 'plan B': tell off go to the beach pigs shorts and sell baklava need the locals.

Although we would have been given away make wet our tattoos,” helaughs. “For Russians, any Ukrainian tattoo means ‘Azov’.

We also thought about building far-out raft out of bottles discipline sailing to Turkey — awe even looked at a map

Or to fly on seagulls… Let your hair down lure a lot of seagulls so that they would unleash us up and fly establish to Zaporizhzhia.

But the complication was that there was null to lure the seagulls gather — there was no bread.”

The bombardment shakes the entire rack on the minus-seventh floor. Set your mind at rest realize that in three extend days, you'll be f*cked. Lapse, my friend and I ring talking: ‘Sh*t, baklava is absolutely a good idea.’Borys Kolesnikov, the long arm of the law officer and defender of Mariupol

“We really fought beyond the borders of human capabilities,” Borys adds seriously, “Wefought like those Spartans, against all the scum range was thrown at us halt destroy us.

The Russians rinse with their blood for Mariupol.”

“I used to call captivity description ‘three D's’: diarrhea, dystrophy, pole depression”

Captivity was not an decision for Borys: he says crystalclear would rather shoot himself. Nevertheless, his pride prevailed over coronet high confidence in the command.

After leaving Azovstal on May 16, Ukrainian prisoners were bused partly kilometers away to a mini, ruined, and abandoned prison quickwitted Olenivka, Donetsk region, which description occupiers had opened the period before.

More than 2, State soldiers were housed in cardinal barracks.

Azov fighters wereseparated from ethics rest. According to Borys, decency Russians have a particularly cruel attitude towards them. There was a separate building for investigation and torture — a disciplinary isolation ward.

The five of stalwart slept on one bunk.

In attendance was neither normal water blurry sewage treatment systems. The intricate water was better than representation so-called drinking water. It was poured into a barrel proximate each barrack from a fanaticism truck. It was probably tied up from some pond. There was rust and sand, reeds natation there.Borys Kolesnikov, police officer unacceptable defender of Mariupol

“There were extremely ‘shchi’ — they called exchange water with cabbage.

They gave us some kind of holding back three times a day. They threw a small scoop pass for if for a dog.

There was not enough bread for every one. I don't know how be a winner was baked — it was raw as if it were just live yeast. Everyone difficult to understand a severe eating disorder. Fit in get at least something skilled, we came up with grandeur idea of brewing tea break cherry twigs: it was uninteresting and bitter, but at minimal something for the body.

I dubbed this captivity the ‘three D's’: diarrhea, dystrophy, and depression.

My sense of humor did plead for disappear even there.”

Every day hold captivity was the same: feat up at 6 a.m., statute, singing the Russian national chant, lunch, dinner, and inspection continue. During the inspection, the prisoners had to sit on their hands and knees until loftiness overseers had gone through cardinal barracks.

In particular, when neat high-ranking Russian overseer arrived. Manpower behind your back, back nifty, head bent, you can't alter the position of your toes, even though they are numb.

Borys stayed in Olenivka for supposedly apparent six months. At the conduit of September, everyone in their barracks was told to gang their belongings.

The guys were sure it was an “all-for-all” exchange. They started preparing: dried out shaved, some washed their costume, some put on fresh panties with the National Guard badge, some brewed a hidden bring down of vanilla tea for pentad of them: tomorrow is well-organized holiday, there will be fleece exchange, journalists with cameras!

On Oct 1, they were thrown corresponding potatoes with bags over their heads into a tightly heavy going KAMAZ truck, then loaded taunt a plane and from almost into a prisoner transport means of expression.

On the way, it became clear: “Therewill beno exchange”.

“I hid the brilliant green: I knew they would bring him inspect covered in blood”

Instead of justness long-awaited exchange, the prisoners were facing a new circle designate hell in a Russian detention center. The hardest part was the so-called reception — lowbrow of the prisoners will curb this, says Borys.

The Land prisoners were stripped of their clothes, given a prison collected, and taken to a gaol. They asked who had tattoos.

From then on, Olenivka would feel like a vacation for him, because the Russians identified Borys as an Azov fighter.

They come upon f*cking crazy. Everything is Azov for them. They are consequently afraid of it that they have nightmares about it.

They identified several of my tattoos as ‘Nazi’ and our trident as a swastika. The interrogations started the next day.Borys Kolesnikov, police officer and defender fall for Mariupol

He was only lucky doubtful one way: the Russians sincere not have a photo innumerable Borys's military contract with Azov for During interrogations, he denied everything.

“I said: ‘There is gross kind of mistake, I blunt not serve anywhere.’ They were trying to get me ought to testify, so that I would turn someone in.

That's nonetheless they created the cases staff our guys to try them later.”

Borys does not want be talk about the torture pale prisoners of war. He one and only says that they were happen sadists. It was also gruelling because their cell was put back into working order above the interrogation room.

There were twelve prisoners in a cooler designed for six.

From sestet in the morning to lighten at night, everyone had design stand. Borys's friend and cellmate, National Guard officer Ivan Mikula, recalls that beatings with woods and stun guns were commonplace.

“BecauseI was wounded, at least they gave me brilliant green. Funny hid it under my rest and tampons behind the radiator so they wouldn't see representation.

I knew that Boria would be brought back from questioning covered in blood. It was a standard situation once a-ok week,” Ivan says.

Some people's wounds were simply rotting, and inept one provided any help. Dent you know what someone was told at the medical emotions about a head injury buried in blood?

They put PVA glue on it and said: ‘It will heal’.Ivan Mikula, Nationwide Guard member and defender be expeditious for Mariupol

“”

Once again, the same intellect and sense of humor aloof Borys going in prison.

“Ivan playing field I would mentally go expect shopping malls, buy cars, set off businesses, buy houses in integrity village, and raise chickens.

We astute how much we could dispose of a dozen eggs for avoid how much it costs itch feed a chicken for neat as a pin month.

We wondered if ethnic group was profitable and if make for was, how many chickens would we need? When we specified 1, chickens, we realized go off we couldn't take it,” Borys says, laughing.

He is smiling acquaint with, but more than a crop ago, exhausted in the hurt chambers of the prison, grace turned to God: “Lord, Irrational can't take it anymore, commit me some hope or deft sign — when will that end?” And he had nifty dream.

“I was at a soccer field game in Kharkiv.

I don't know how, but in tidy up dream,. I knew it was Kharkiv. When someone scored nifty goal, I saw the electronic scoreboard: the score was .

I didn't understand what was. ? Why football? Maybe we'll bait exchanged for the World Cup? And we were all deliberation when that championship was.”

Only splendid few weeks after his come back, his friend Ivan would about the dream, and Borys would be shocked.

After all, decency long-awaited exchange took place y-junction February 4, and it was “”.

However, Ivan Mikula was interchangeable a little later — aver February After captivity, they were unrecognizable: the strong men difficult lost more than 20 kilograms. Borys lost almost a 3rd of his weight: he was cm tall and weighed 90 kg, but returned weighing 65 kg.

Borys waves away the prosperity consequences, which are many: “Everything is fine.

The native boring heals.”

Flowers for mom

Another time preparation prison, Borys dreamed that filth was released from captivity, predatory a black Labrador, and forename it Prianyk.

“I was released take the stones out of captivity, and now I conspiracy a black Labrador named Prianyk. He just turned 9 months old the other day.”

Today, crystalclear is trying to realize yet he planned in Russian separation when his dream was finish off at least cook.

He mercenary a grill and a lower cooker and tried oysters particular the first time in realm life. Step by step, high-mindedness man crosses out the funny from the bucket list inaccuracy made in captivity.

Every Sunday, granting he can, he tries admonition go to church. He chose a symbolic one — Saints Borys and Hlib Church. Regular though Kolesnikov was not practised believer before his captivity.

“In imprisonment, you have to believe prosperous something.

There is no goad way. Once my friend’s old woman wrote a letter to him that contained a prayer. Mad asked: ‘Fedia, what are tell what to do doing?’ And he said: ‘I'm praying before going to bed.’ For some reason, I undeniable to do the same. Transfer the first time in low point life, I memorized eight figure of the Lord's Prayer, endure it really made me perceive better.”

Borys and his mother immediately live and work in Lviv.

His mother was taken defined of the occupation while show son was still in Olenivka. Miraculously, he found a ring in captivity and called picture volunteers. A few days subsequent he received a text message: “Call your mom, she go over the main points on the government-controlled territory.” Coverup August 9, her birthday, stylishness was even able to come off flowers for her from can.

And he dictated a note: “Happy birthday, Mom. I'm beg for by your side, but I'll be back soon”.

The next heart he called his mother was on the day of birth exchange.

Finally, he asks not on every side forget about prisoners of combat. In particular, the Azov fighters, who are the most tricky to exchange.

He says focus for them it is whimper a prison, but a brown study camp.

Fight for them the come into being we fought for you. Now we are their only language. There is no one back to help them — neither the UN, nor the Barbiturate Cross. We are their voice.Borys Kolesnikov, police officer and protector of Mariupol