A year ago, in July 2023, Odesa bid farewell to one of the city’s most worthy residents, artist, architect and Warrior Borys Aizenberg. On July 26, 2024, by Order No. 694/A-2024 of Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper, “On Renaming Toponymic Objects in Settlements of Odesa Region,” Kataiev Lane in Odesa was renamed in honor of Borys Aizenberg. Members of the Green Leaf NGO had the honor of knowing Borys as a generous patron who helped us implement Odesa greening programs by donating trees from his Sadproekt nursery.
This is how it happened. He would simply call the head of the organization, Vlad Balinskyi:
— Vlad, I have 50 Niedzwetzky ornamental apple trees and I want them to bloom on Odesa streets. They also bear tasty little apples for children — all my friends ask to come to the nursery when they ripen. Can you handle the planting yourself? Where should I bring the trees?
That is how, on Armiiska Street in Odesa in April 2019, there appeared an avenue of 18 paradise apple trees.
Now, in spring, children walk to school along the flowering avenue.
A year later, in April 2020, thanks to Borys, Sofiivska Street near the Odesa Fine Arts Museum was adorned with eleven ash and maple trees. The three-meter saplings were provided free of charge by Borys Aizenberg.
On the very first day of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, February 24, 2022, Borys Aizenberg volunteered for the front. He served as a company commander in the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign.
He selflessly defended and fought for the territorial integrity of the state. He took part in the liberation of territories in Mykolaiv Region, for which he was awarded the distinction “For Courage and Bravery.” For the liberation of territories in Kherson Region, he received the “Cross of Freedom” medal from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
After successfully carrying out missions on the southern front, Borys Aizenberg was sent to Bakhmut District in Donetsk Region, where, among other things, he organized the construction of fortified defensive positions that enabled the soldiers to hold the front near the settlement of Kurdiumivka for more than seven months. Borys was always alongside his comrades, courageously facing danger. More than once he evacuated wounded and fallen soldiers from the battlefield and saved more than 20 service members from under continuous artillery fire.
Borys Aizenberg was killed on July 13, 2023 near Kurdiumivka in Donetsk Region. On the day of his death, under intense fire, he rescued a seriously wounded subordinate and gave him first aid at the cost of his own life. Looking death in the face, Borys stood shoulder to shoulder with his comrades, unafraid for himself, saving others and courageously fighting for the freedom of his Ukraine.
Lead photo — Suspilne Odesa.