Irish journalist makes a documentary about a dead farmer from Kherson region

Farmer Oleksandr Hordiienko was killed by Russian shelling. Photo: Suspilne

Irish documentary filmmaker Caolan Robertson has made a film about the life and heroism of Oleksandr Hordiienko, a Ukrainian farmer from Kherson region who died from Russian shelling.

The project was released on the journalist's YouTube channel. After the news of the farmer's death, Robertson went to his farm to talk about the man who became a symbol of the resilience of Kherson farmers.

«Most news about Kherson focuses on drone attacks on civilians in the city centre, so I thought it was important to show this topic from the inside, in the smallest detail. The farmers in this region have experienced real horrors: first the occupation, then the mining, the drought, and now the FPV drone attacks,» said Caolan Robertson.

Oleksandr Gordienko was the head of the Kherson Oblast Farmers' Association, a member of the regional council and the founder of a farm with a 30-year history. On 5 September, he was killed in the field when Russian soldiers attacked the car he was working in.

After the liberation of the right bank of the Kherson region, the farmer was actively engaged in de-mining his own land. To protect his workers and equipment from Russian drones, he purchased electronic warfare systems and anti-drone guns.

As a reminder, the daughter filed an application to award Oleksandr Hordiienko the title of Hero of Ukraine. She said that her father personally cleared thousands of hectares of land of mines, removed more than five thousand mines and destroyed more than 200 Russian drones, saving lives and equipment. For his bravery and dedication, locals called him «Farmer Rambo».