Born on November 14, 2001 in the city of Kharkiv. From 2008 to 2017, he studied at Kharkiv Secondary School No. 70. During his school years, he went to sambo and was engaged in parkour. From 2017 to 2021, he studied at the Kharkiv Computer and Technological Vocational College of NTU "KhPI" with a degree in "Maintenance of Software Systems and Complexes". During his studies, Ilya was remembered by his classmates as a cheerful, responsible and kind person, and was also distinguished by his creativity and humanity. He took an active part not only in the educational process, but also in the sports life of the college. Ilya became interested in volleyball. From 2021 to 2023, Ilya studied at the Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics at the Faculty of Information Radio Technologies and Technical Information Protection with a degree in Information Technologies.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ilya moved to the city of Poltava, where, after completing courses, he joined the ranks of the local territorial defense. He patrolled the city at night and traveled to the region as a witness when exposing and arresting collaborators. At the end of May 2022, he returned to the city of Kharkiv, where he began to help in the construction of fortifications on the city's roads and in dismantling the rubble of residential buildings damaged by enemy strikes. With a perfect command of English, he volunteered to travel as an interpreter with representatives of foreign humanitarian missions to the deoccupied territories and front-line zones.
On a volunteer basis, he made souvenirs from cartridge cases, collected flags of combat units signed by soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and transferred funds from their sale to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He helped
to buy uniforms and various ammunition for his friends who had already fought. In the summer of 2023, he was a translator in Pokrovsk at medical aid courses during hostilities. Guided by his own views, patriotic feelings and considerations, he took an academic leave from the university and signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the end of August 2023. Ilya told his family: «I don’t want a new Bucha to happen again.» And this was one of his motivations to volunteer to fight. He ended up in the 77th Dnieper Airmobile Brigade.
He chose the call sign "Tourniquet" because he was good at applying it. He completed medical courses in the training part of the airmobile troops. In October - November 2023, he participated in the heroic defense of the city of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, as a combat medic. He evacuated the wounded and provided them with first aid. At the end of November, he was transferred as an aerial reconnaissance officer to the reconnaissance platoon of the 3rd airmobile battalion of the 77th separate airmobile brigade (training unit A 4355 - gunner of the reconnaissance detachment). In December, he was with the brigade, after heavy fighting in the Donetsk region, on vacation and retraining in Zhytomyr. From mid-February to the end of March 2024, he studied at aerial reconnaissance courses in Zhytomyr. In January and February 2024, Ilya was with the brigade on training in Germany.
Circumstances of death:
Being completely devoted to his cause and military oath, Ilya Revenko died on April 12, 2024 while performing a combat mission. This happened at a combat position as a result of a strike by an enemy FPV drone near the village of Novoselivske, Svativsky district, Luhansk region.
The deceased soldier was survived by his father and mother. Three hours before his death, Ilya proposed to his girlfriend. Unfortunately, he did not have time to do this, but the words he dedicated to this short-lived but sincere love remained forever:
«"You appeared before me in winter,
like that sleeping snowdrop in the forest
I learned about greatness with you.
Ukrainian Miracle – Polissya.
And I will never forget this,
How we met in a strange city
Or was it fate that brought us both together,
Is it the magic of the Miracle – Polissya?.
Ilya was buried with full military honors in his parents' small homeland in the village of Kamyana Yaruga, Chuguivsk urban territorial community.
His portrait is placed on the memorial “Wall of Memory of Those Who Fell for Ukraine” in the city of Kyiv.
DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE No. 352/2024
About honoring with state awards of Ukraine
For personal courage shown in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, selfless performance of military duty I decree:
To be awarded the Order "For Courage" of the 3rd degree
REVENKA Ilya Vyacheslavovich (posthumously) - senior soldier
President of Ukraine V. ZELENSKYI
June 17, 2024
