Biography

Yuliia Volodymyrivna Koval was born on October 9, 1976, in the village of Nova Kozacha, Kharkiv region. From her youth she was known for her gentle character and dedication to learning. She studied Ukrainian language and literature at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, later working for ten years as a teacher before turning to entrepreneurship.

Together with her sister, Yuliia opened a shop in the town of Zolochiv, and she also collaborated with a Polish company producing dietary supplements, organizing conferences in Kharkiv. She was active in charitable work, delivering humanitarian aid to children’s homes and nursing facilities. Friends and family remembered her as kind, energetic, and always ready to help.

Yuliia lived in Nova Kozacha, which fell under Russian occupation in 2022. On April 15, she set out with her sister and father to Kharkiv to collect food and medicine for their community. On the return journey, near the village of Turove in Bohodukhiv district, their minibus was struck by an explosion - either enemy fire or a hidden mine. All three were killed instantly.

She was divorced and left behind her mother, Iryna, and an adult son.

Yuliia is remembered as a devoted mother, a caring daughter, and a woman of compassion whose life combined teaching, business, and service to others. Her memory endures in her family and in the community she sought to support even in the darkest times.