Classmates and the class teacher talked about the fighter who left a message on the stone

“Whoever finds me, take care of my mother, sister and brother. Rudakov Roman Alexandrovich. City of Bataysk. This message, left by a 22-year-old soldier on a brick of a destroyed house in Marinka, was discovered by our military after the liberation of the city. Nine bodies of our soldiers lay nearby. Their assault squad was ambushed and surrounded. The guys died fighting until the last bullet. His classmates and class teacher told MK about Roman’s dedication.

“Roma was very modest and well-mannered,” says his class teacher Marina Nikolaevna. “Now I was sitting, replaying my school years in my head, and couldn’t remember a single conflict incident related to Roma. He was not particularly active due to his modesty. He didn’t make it to the forefront, but he always responded to any requests and carried out all instructions. The guys respected him very much.

As the class teacher says, Roman was an average student, but was very diligent. Always did my homework.

“I would also note his neatness.” Roma’s family did not have much income, but he was always dressed to the nines. He always wore ironed trousers, snow-white shirts, and polished shoes. Boys in grades 8-9 began to wear jeans and a sweater. And Roma was always in a vest or a suit, walking around the school like a professor.

Roma’s classmate, Marina, remembers how he came to them in 4th grade along with his brother Lesha.

“Roma was very worried about his brother, Lesha had vision problems, it was difficult for him to read, and a number of subjects were difficult for him,” Marina shares. “Their older sister came to our class, talked to the guys, asked them not to hurt Lesha. Roma always defended his brother and stood up for him.

Their classmates considered them twins. But it seemed to the class teacher that Roman and Alexey were the same age.

“Lesha, indeed, had problems with vision and, apparently, some other concomitant diseases,” says Marina Nikolaevna. “Roma took care of him, followed his brother like a mother hen. I watched where Lesha sat down, whether he took out all the office supplies, where he put his briefcase. I followed him everywhere. They didn’t sit at the same desk. Roma sat either behind Lesha, or on the side – in another row, so that his brother would always be in his field of vision. In fifth grade, towards the end of the year, Lesha’s parents took Lesha out of our school. He continued his studies at a specialized boarding school.

Marina Nikolaevna says that Roma had a very friendly family.

“Their dad was sick, had a heart condition, suffered a heart attack. Roma was very worried about his father, but he never talked about it, never shared this pain with anyone. I learned about this from his mother. She was a housewife and took care of children. Then, when her husband started having health problems, she went back to work. Roma helped her in everything and became a support for the family.

Classmate Marina says that Roma’s mother, Olga Ivanovna, always came to school meetings.

“She had high hopes for Roma. He was very responsible, kind, unforgiving, and did not hold a grudge against anyone. He refused to help anyone. I was constantly involved in sports. His favorite subject was history. Roma was a true patriot.

Marina says that as soon as she saw the message written with a marker on the white sand-lime brick, she felt a pang in her heart. She realized that Romka had left him.

“I’m talking to you, and tears are choking me, given their situation in the family,” says Marina. “Roma, in those terrible moments of the battle, when they were hit from all sides with machine guns and pelted with grains, thought not about his pain, not about death, but about his loved ones: his mother, brother, sister. Like all previous years.

Classmates with whom we also managed to contact say that what Roma was lacking in was dignity. This guy never lowered his head under any circumstances. And, finding himself in the special operation zone, he did not retreat, and, together with his assault squad, repelled one enemy attack after another. The guys fought until the last bullet.

“Romka most likely wrote this message when he was already wounded,” says Alexander, who studied with him in a parallel class. “I am amazed at his fortitude.” After all, he was mobilized several months after his military service. He did not hide and went to the NWO zone. In July he stopped communicating and was considered missing. Recently, his mother, who works as a cashier at a chain grocery store, was asked to take a DNA test to identify the body. Nine bodies of dead soldiers were found in that building. The remains have now been sent for examination.

Class teacher Marina Nikolaevna says that she was struck by the words of Roma’s mother, who said that if only her son left the message, then everyone there was already dead.

The last lines in the young life of Roman Rudakov were about family. It is important to fulfill the fighter’s request – to take care of his mother, brother and sister.