Akhiezer (Chystiukhina) Neonila

The Chystiukhins lived in Odessa.  On the eve of the war, Neonila, the only daughter of Mykola and Olena Chistyukhins, turned 19 years old. 

At the end of October 1941, after the occupation of the city by German and Romanian troops, Neonila told her parents about her meeting with her acquaintance Konstantyn Akhiezer. Drafted into the army during the first days of the war, he was almost immediately captured but managed to escape. He spent many weeks before he returned to Odesa. He hoped to find his relatives in the city.  From Neonila, he learned about their death, heard the terrible details about the persecution that Jews of Odesa have been subjected to since the first days of the occupation. 

Realizing that Konstantyn would not survive without help, Neonila, on her own initiative, offered him shelter in her family's house.  For a whole year, he secretly lived in a small apartment of the Chystiukhins, who risked not only their lives, but also the lives of their neighbors, who, fortunately, turned out to be decent people: some even sympathized with Konstantyn and helped his rescuers. And yet everyone lived in constant fear that any day might be the last.  Therefore, when Neonila had the opportunity to purchase fake documents for Konstantyn with a Ukrainian surname, she did it without hesitation. 

Later, with the help of her acquaintance, she transported Konstantyn to the city of Kotovsk, where no one knew him and where he rented a room and eventually got a job.  Neonila visited and supported him.  Over time, they became members of the anti-fascist underground and, on instructions from the partisans, carried out dangerous missions.

 In the spring of 1944, Kotovsk and Odesa were liberated from the Romanian army.  Konstantyn Akhiezer returned to his hometown and soon married his savior.  They lived happily for 54 years until the death of Neonila in 1996.

 On July 2, 2000, Yad Vashem recognized Neonila Chystiukhina (Akhiezer) as Righteous Among the Nations.