Street in Odesa renamed in honour of Hlodan family killed by Russia's war

A street in Odesa has been renamed in honour of the Hlodan family, whose members were killed because of Russia's war – a three-month-old girl, her mother and grandmother died in a Russian missile strike, while the father, who joined the military after losing his family, was later killed in action.

Source: Kyiv District Administration of Odesa City Council on Facebook

Details: The former Ilf and Petrov Street has been renamed in memory of the Hlodan family.

Valeriia, her mother Liudmyla and three-month-old daughter Kira were killed on 23 April 2022. The family had been preparing to celebrate Easter, and Yurii had gone to the shop when a Russian missile struck the apartment building where they lived.

In a single day, Yurii lost his wife, daughter and mother-in-law. Five other Odesa residents were also killed in the attack on the apartment building.

"I live nearby. I saw the missile, I saw and heard the fire," Yurii's sister Anastasiia told Suspilne Odesa. "Then my brother called and told me it had hit our apartment building. Afterwards, he made his way through the rubble himself, searching for their bodies. He recovered them himself...

We had so much hope that they would find little Kira alive, but they didn't. Sadly, she spent so little time in this world and barely had the chance to see anything, but I'm sure she lived all three months surrounded by love and care."

Oleksandr Yakovenko, co-owner of the bakery where Yurii had worked, said that "his world was shattered" that tragic day.

After losing his family, Yurii decided to join the Armed Forces. In April 2022, he admitted that military service was not easy and that becoming a professional soldier required training and time.

"What keeps me going is knowing there is no other way," said Yurii, who served in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. "Together with my brothers-in-arms, we are defending our homeland, its freedom and independence. For every child and every family.

What motivates and inspires me are the remarkable men, full of courage, bravery and professionalism, who go fearlessly into battle for their homes, for the families waiting for them, and for the brighter future that must be fought for."

Yurii was killed near Bakhmut on 5 November 2023 while carrying out a combat mission. His brothers-in-arms described him as a man with a "heart of steel" who wanted to avenge the deaths of his family.

"He became a professional soldier who honed his skills to a level that few could have achieved without previous combat experience," said a serviceman with the call sign Monhol. "He was a rifleman and an assault soldier, just like me. He constantly went on combat missions and carried them out flawlessly.

Perhaps his greatest motivation was not only to defend his homeland, which is the duty of every one of us, but also to avenge the deaths of his family, and he succeeded in doing so."

Background: On 31 July 2025, a Russian attack on Kyiv killed the Lemekhov family – 23-year-old parents Mykyta and Sofia, who was pregnant, and their two-year-old son Lev.

Subscribe on Patreon to back our journalism long-term.