Yurii Horodnii, a resident of Zhytomyr, died in the war against Russian aggression.
Born on November 3, 1979, in Zhytomyr, Yurii was mobilized in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as the senior sergeant of the 3rd company, military unit A4044.
Yurii was the first to introduce park volleyball in Zhytomyr in 2015 and was repeatedly recognized as the “Best Coach of the City.”
He regularly participated in the Ukrainian Championships, Zhytomyr Region Cups, and City Championships in both classic and beach volleyball as a coach and player. He was a multiple prizewinner at the Ukrainian, regional, and city levels.
At the onset of the full-scale invasion in March, he went to defend Ukraine.
On May 16, Yurii was killed by enemy artillery shelling in the village of Troitske, Popasna District, Luhansk Region, burning to ashes. His remains remain on the occupied territory to this day.
Yurii was a coach at the Zhytomyr Children’s and Youth Sports School “Yunist” in volleyball, the president of volleyball clubs “Ambassador” and “Raketa,” and a volunteer. His best result as a coach came in the final of the Ukrainian Championship “Youth League” for boys born in 2005 and younger, where his team took 2nd place in the 2016/2017 season.
He left behind a wife and two daughters.