A street in Kharkiv to be named after a fallen IDF soldier

A street in the city of Kharkiv will be named after Corporal Alexei-Asher Nikov, who was killed in a terrorist attack during an operation in Gush Katif in 1998.

Nikov, who was driving a jeep escorting a bus with 48 children from school, blocked terrorists in a suicide vehicle attempting to attack the bus. His actions prevented the attack, and although he was killed in the explosion, all the children were saved.

Following his heroic act, the city council of his birthplace, Kharkiv, Ukraine, decided to name a street after him. This decision comes as Kharkiv, located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border and heavily bombarded for over two years due to the ongoing war, replaces Soviet hero names with those of local heroes, including soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Legacy honored

Nikov studied at the Jewish school "Ohr Avner" in Kharkiv, founded by the city's Chief Rabbi and Chabad emissary, Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz. The school is now located on the street named after Nikov.

The initiative was supported by Israeli journalist and historian Shimon Briman, together with the head of the city council, Irina Goncharova, and Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz.

Alongside Nikov, streets are also named after local architects Victor Astrovits and Alexander Ginzburg, whose notable works adorn the city.

Victor was killed by Nazis in 1941 at Drobytsky Yar, and Alexander led Kharkiv's community after the Nazis were driven out, despite restrictions on religious activities under Stalin's rule.

Nikov was born in August 1978 to a Jewish couple, Simon and Klara. He joined the Chabad school shortly after it opened in 1992, later studied at the "Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva" in Kharkiv, participated in "Camp Gan Israel" summer camps, and joined the "Sha'alvim" program in Kharkiv. In 1998, he immigrated to Israel and joined the IDF.

Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz commented on the historic decision, highlighting the honor it brings to their school to have a street named after a former student who sacrificed his life for the people of Israel, embodying the Talmudic saying that "saving one life is like saving an entire world", showcasing the pride of the entire Jewish people at his young age.