A native of Kyiv, Honcharenko in his interview mentioned that he had a complicated childhood growing up in an orphanage (children home) and later a boarding school for orphans.
[1] After graduating from school, Hocharenko worked as a turner at the Petrovsky Automation Factory (Zavod imeni Petrovskoho) at the same time playing for a team from Hrebinka that was coached by a former football star of Dynamo Yuriy Voinov.
[1] After retiring from playing career, Honcharenko decided to become a children coach and in interview confirmed that he considers Ivan Terletsky his "spiritual father" who guided him with consultations and predicted him outstanding achievements.
[1] He noted that when in 1989 he won with his junior team Ukrainian championship, Terletsky recommended him to president of the Football Federation of Ukraine Mykola Fominykh and later both Fominykh and Terletsky offered him as an assistant coach to Volodymyr Onyshchenko who was appointed a manager for FC Dynamo Bila Tserkva.
[1] Honcharenko explained that while for him conditions at the club were excellent, his wife was pregnant and did not want to give birth in Severodonetsk due to smoke caused by the local chemical plant "Azot".