Bohoniuk Yukhym and Teklia, Zapletniuk Klavdiia, Humeniuk Oleksandr, Domna and Mariia, Kokhanovskyi Volodymyr and Mariia, Polishchuk Olha, Stukan Mykola and Klavdiia

During the Holocaust, 11 Ukrainians from the village of Holodki in Vinnytsia region rescued Hryhorii Reznikov and his son Isak.

Hryhorii was a well-known blacksmith in the town of Khmilnyk, raising his son on his own. In January 1942, about six months after German forces occupied the region, two mass shootings of Jews occurred. Approximately 8 thousand people were executed, while the rest were herded into the ghetto, where the residents were eventually annihilated in March 1943. At that time, in January, Hryhorii and his son were fortunate to escape from the city to the village of Holodki. The first family to open their doors to the Jews was the family of Yukhym and Teklia Bohoniuk. Within a few weeks, the fugitives relocated to the outskirts of the village, where Mykola and Klavdiia Stukan lived. It was considered a safer location. However, 15-year-old Izia decided to return to Khmilnyk to get warm clothes and some other belongings. The teenager got caught in a roundup and, along with a group of captives, was taken to a mass execution pit where they were ordered to undress. In a moment of chaos, during the confusion of the situation, Izia managed to break through the encirclement of the execution squad. During the night, he made his way through the forest until he reached Holodki village and knocked on the door of the first house. Klavdiia Zapletniuk opened the door. The mother of three young children was astonished to see a naked boy standing barefoot in the snow. She immediately brought Izia into her home, warmed him, and fed him. He told her his story and confessed that his father was supposed to be with the Stukan family. Izya fell ill with pneumonia from freezing. After nursing him back to health, Klavdiia took him to his father. Hryhorii made an arrangement with Oleksandr Humeniuk whom he had known even before the war, that he would took care of his son. Olexander's wife and daughter cared for Izia and ensured his complete recovery.  

After hearing the news about the creation of a ghetto for Jewish artisans in Khmilnyk, Hryhorii decided to relocate there. For a year, he and his son remained behind the barbed wire. Mariia Humeniuk, who brought baskets of food, often visited them. During the liquidation of the ghetto, Hryhorii perished, while Izia was lucky to escape once again. He found his savior, Klavdiia Zapletniuk, but could not hide there for long as a neighbor began to threaten with reporting them. Until January 1944, the family of the local priest, Volodymyr Kokhanovskyi, cared for Izia. Afterward, Izia moved to an abandoned house in the forest, where he received assistance from a local peasant woman, Olha Polishchuk. Later, the young man joined a partisan unit.

After the war, Isac Reznikov emigrated to Israel, but he always remembered all of his rescuers.

In 1996, Yad Vashem recognized Yuhym and Teklia Bohoniuk, Mykola and Klavdiia Stukan, Olexander, Domna, and Mariia Humeniuk, Volodymyr Kokhanovskyi and Mariia Kokhanovska, Klavdiia Zapletniuk, and Olha Polishchuk as Righteous Among the Nations.

/