On July 19, 2022, journalist and serviceman within the ranks of the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, Mykola Rachok was killed in battle near the village of Pokrovske in the Donetsk region.
In the very first days of the full-scale war, Rachok enlisted in the army. He had no combat experience, yet his family knew that Mykola never wavered in his decision.
“Not for a single moment did Mykola doubt that his place was with the defenders who held their positions, returning Ukraine to Ukrainians, under shelling, in blood-flooded trenches! He was led by love,” his sister Antonina recalls his decision.
In 2012-2016, Mykola Rachok studied philology at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. In two years, he defended his master’s thesis in literature. As a student, Mykola was the editor of the print edition of the popular scientific journal Kunsht. His colleagues point out his professional diligence and curiosity. Mykola could edit complex scientific texts at night to meet deadlines.
The outlet’s founders underlined that Mykola strengthened its editorial team and helped to develop the standards that the Kunsht team still follows.
“I remember Mykola’s wisdom, prudence, humor, and honesty. He was not just a perfect colleague to work with but also a perfect friend. He always offered his help in making complicated thoughts clearer,” says Kyrylo Bezkorovainyi, one of the Kunsht co-founders.
Mykola had many dreams and interests. He played the piano, studied foreign languages, and was fond of dancing. He always approached his hobbies thoroughly, as well as his work. His friends remember him passing a theoretical course before he started attending dancing class.
His primary interest, however, was cars. This affected his studies (as Mykola wrote his thesis about cars in fictional works) and his further journalistic career. Mykola had a dream of developing Ukrainian-language automobile media. Thus, in 2017, he took charge of the news department at the biggest Ukrainian automobile portal InfoCar.
Mykola Rachok defended Ukraine in its eastern regions. His last fight took place in the Donetsk region, against the Wagner Group. The defender was 27 years old.
