Bank of Portraits / Kulyk Hryhoriy and Anna

Kulyk Hryhoriy and Anna

Hryhoriy and Anna Kulyk were Christian peasants from village Budyshche, Kyiv region (now Cherkasy region). The family was wealthy but their property was expropriated after Bolsheviks come to power. Even their house was deprived and transferred to the local Communist party. After the German invasion and occupation of the region, Kulyks manage to return to their home.

In autumn of 1943, Haya Basovska with her 16-years old son Hryhoriy asked Kulyks for help. In August of the same year, they escaped from the Jewish labor camp on the eve of its destruction. Since that moment they were hiding in the neighboring forests asking peasants for food.

Kulyks open their door for the Jewish refugees, gave them food, and washed their clothes. They also offered them shelter. After that Haya and her son visited Kulyks for few times, the local woman told German police about Haya.

Now Hryhoriy was alone, so he again asked Kulyks for help and they sheltered him. He was helping them with a house, hiding from the neighbors, and Kulyks treated him as their son.

After the liberation of the village from the Nazi forces in February of 1944, Hrysha asked the Soviet authorities to officially permit Kulyks to live in their native house and his request was granted. Hryhoriy and Anna lived in their house till they died in the 1950s

On December 5, 2002, Hryhoriy and Anna were awarded a Righteous Among the Nations award.  

Evhen Ivashchenko

Kyiv

Tavrida National V.I. Vernadsky University

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