Bank of Portraits / Horbulska Anastasia

Horbulska Anastasia

 Before the war, Anastasia Horbulska lived in the village of Kopaygorod in the Vinnytsia region. From 1923 the village was the center of the Jewish national village administration. At that time there were more than a thousand Jews. In 1937, Anastasia's husband was repressed by the Soviet authorities and shot. Then the woman raised her son on her own.

In July 1941, Kopaygorod was captured by German troops, but transferred to the control of Romanian allies. A ghetto was organized in the village, which included not only local Jews, but also the Jews from Bukovina and Bessarabia. Prisoners suffered from hunger, disease and hard labor. Many people dreamed of escaping, but nobody knew what to do after it…

 Anastasia Horbulska's house was next to the ghetto. At first, the woman brought food and other necessities to the Jews. Most of the prisoners did not know Anastasia personally, but she was always ready to help them – and not only with food. The woman turned her home into a hiding place for the persecuted. When the occupiers raided the ghetto, dozens of Jews took refuge in her house.

The occupation administration guessed about Anastasia's activities, so she was repeatedly threatened. Once they even promised to burn the house with everyone who would be in it. However, in 1942, most of the ghetto prisoners were transferred to a concentration camp at Kopay Station, 5 km from the village. Even after that, Anastasia did not stop helping. Every day she covered this distance to give her friends some food.

In the spring of 1944, the Red Army entered Kopaygorod, and many were lucky enough to survive thanks to Anastasia Horbulska. After the war, she continued to live in her native village, and the local Jews did not forget about her good deeds during the occupation. Anastasia Horbulska died in the 1960s

In 1992, she was recognized as the Righteous Among the Nations for her courageous deeds.

Valeriya Budyshevska

Kyiv

Tavrida National V.I. Vernadsky University

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