Buried a year later: Ukrainian champion in swimming, who served in the presidential regiment, died in close combat near Donetsk

On March 6, a year after his death, Maxim Kovalenko, the champion of Ukraine and master of sports of the country in swimming, was buried in Kharkov. At the beginning of a full-scale war, the defender, who served in the presidential regiment, died in a battle near Donetsk.

Director of the Spartak sports school Ayuna Morozova, who miraculously survived the rocket attack on the Kharkiv regional administration on March 1, 2022, told GLOBAL HAPPENINGS about Maxim.

Maxim was in 1996, he studied at the Kharkov State Higher School of Physical Education No. 1 from the seventh grade to the second year at the swimming department. During this time, he managed to become a master of sports of Ukraine at stayer distances.

“These are long distances – 400, 800 and 1500 meters. When he was already studying at the courses, he was the champion of Ukraine in open water swimming – 5000 and 7500 meters,” Ayuna Vitalievna noted.

Kovalenko got into the army approximately in 2016 – shortly after he became the vice-champion of Ukraine at a distance of 1500 meters. And it happened by accident. It so happened that after the second year he went to work as a counselor in a children’s camp, where, unfortunately, he lost his passport.

“And all the children who study at this school of physical education automatically go to the second year of the State Academy of Physical Education in Kharkov without exams. Maxim, of course, made himself a new passport when he returned. But the documents had a different series and number, so “Unfortunately, he did not enter the academy. And two months later he was called to serve, and he left,” Morozova said.

“Max was such a joker. Very cheerful, whimsical. Constantly some funny stories happened to him. It seems to me that he lacked discipline a little. But he was a very good person. Well, such a joker. And when he was drafted into the army, “We petitioned to be taken to the sports company. And he is a swimmer – handsome, big. And he was taken to the presidential regiment, where he served and then began to serve under the contract,” Ayuna said.

Kovalenko was a pupil of the Spartak school, and at Maxim Morozov’s school she held the position of senior teacher, so she communicated with him while the athlete served.

“Max already wanted to end his military career. His contract ended, he had a girlfriend, and he wanted to settle down and do something in civilian life. But a full-scale war began, and Maxim went to fight again. We talked with him a day before his death. It’s just that I myself came under fire in the Kharkiv Regional State Administration on March 1. And then the guys told me that, unfortunately, Maxim had died, ”Morozova recalled.

At one time, Kovalenko became the champion of Ukraine as part of the relay race of the Kharkiv region, took medals side by side with the future record holder and 10-time Paralympic champion Maxim Kripak, while he was still competing with quite healthy athletes.

“We have such a school that there were too many Maxims, the name is popular among swimmers,” Morozova smiled. And the pupil of the school “Spartak” is also eight-time Paralympic champion Maxim Veraksa and the notorious swimmer Maxim Golubnichy.

“What did Maxim want to do in civilian life? You understand, you need to know him here. He would like to do everything – I’ll go there, and here. You know, for me he was a joker, but when I talked to him lately, these were already the eyes of an adult man, a warrior, ”the former mentor Kovalenko emphasized.

“I also asked him what he would do, because I want them all to become swimming coaches. And he replies: “No, Ayuna Vitalievna, what are you? Children… Yes, you can go crazy. It’s hard, they don’t obey.” I said: “Well, yes, especially people like you,” Morozova smiled.

Maxim said that for a start he just wants to live and think about what he should do. Like, now I’ll rest a little and think of something. There were opinions about business. But the war started…

Kovalenko passed away on the night of March 6-7, 2022. Brothers reported that the Kharkiv athlete died in close combat while performing a combat mission near Donetsk. However, they were able to bury him in his hometown only a year later.

“Maxim died near Donetsk, and now it is already occupied territory. Then he was taken out of there, but there are standards that they have to take the deceased to their military unit. And she was somewhere in Lvov. He was taken to Yavoriv, ​​and then there was a raid Maxim was moved to Kiev, and then to Kharkov. In general, there are bureaucratic issues and war. He was cremated, and we buried his ashes on March 6. Mom decided that this should be done on the anniversary of his death, “Morozova said.

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