Yuri “Bald” Kondrakhin is a fan of the football club “Metalurg” (Mariupol).

Yuri Anatolyevich Kondrakhin was born on September 19, 1999 in the city of Mariupol. He studied at the city school No. 28, and after graduating from it he entered the Higher Professional Metallurgical School No. 99, where he obtained the specialty of assistant machinist. From an early age, he was fond of sports: from the freestyle wrestling section in junior school, to boxing in his youth. Sitting in one place - it was not about little Jurk.

He started attending matches of Mariupol “Metalurg” in the fan sector from November 2015. Defended the honor of the club in the “forest”, on bandages and with a cap in his teeth.

A close friend and classmate of Yuri recalls one of the trips to the city of Kramatorsk in 2016: - “Yura “Bald” was then one of the youngest representatives of the Mariupol fan movement. Then everyone thought that this trip would be the usual routine of the fan, so to speak. But Yura and a number of other guys did not think so. Without telling anyone, they carried pyro and smoke into the stadium, and created a real fan atmosphere then in the guest sector. What attracted the attention of fans of Kramatorsk. In the break between the halves, a proposal was received from representatives of Kramatorsk to fight. No one at that time was preparing for a fight, they thought that it would be another ordinary departure. Yura was one of those guys who agreed without any hesitation and with a smile on his face went to the fight! We then got a quick victory, and there was an agreement between the representatives not to announce the result. So the usual departure, thanks to “Bald”, became a pleasant memory and remained in the memory forever.”

According to the memories of his family and friends, Yuriy liked active recreation and traveling around Ukraine. Whether to Kiev - to cheer for your hometown club or national team, or to Lviv - to taste local chocolate, or to Transcarpathia - to admire the scenery and taste herbal teas.

In 2020, he signed a contract for service in the ranks of a separate detachment of special purpose “Azov”. He took the call sign “Steve” and held the position of driving instructor for the operational platoon.

In the memories of his relatives and brothers, Yuri will forever remain a very positive and cheerful person. He was a nationalist and an ardent patriot, with many plans for life. But most of all Yuri loved his native Mariupol. He was purposeful and far-sighted. Struggled with injustice. He and his beloved Sofia dreamed of getting married and building a family as soon as the war ended.

A few days before the start of a full-scale war, Yuri took his girlfriend from Mariupol to his parents in Zaporizhia. Being in hellish urban battles in the surrounded city, at every opportunity he tried to support and calm his sister as well.

During the defense of the city, he sometimes contacted the rooftops of skyscrapers to say that he was alive and to find out what the situation of his loved ones was. His last words to his beloved were: - “Suddenly - do not be offended at me, we have city fights. I will stand for you and for my city to the last, no matter what.”

Junior Sergeant Yuri Kondrakhin died on March 13, 2022, having received a non-life injury while performing a combat mission. Awarded the Order “For Courage” III degree. (posthumously).