Illia, Maria, Dmytro and Melania Paliok

Before the war, Illia Paliok with his wife Maria lived in one of the villages of Zakarpattia, 5 kilometers away from the village of Kushnytsia. According to the census of 1910, the population of the village consisted mostly of Ukrainians, or how they were called in the documents, «Ruthenians». A few hundred Jews and Germans were mentioned in the same census.

During the Second World War, Paliok’s son Dmytro also lived in their house with his wife Melania. Until the spring of 1944, the region of Zakarpattia was under Hungarian control, but in March of 1944, this area was occupied by the German army. Hence, local Jews were in grave danger. Two Jewish brothers, Stepan and Ladislaus Moldovan asked Palioks to conceal them. Despite the danger of being killed, the Ukrainian family sheltered them. At first, they were hiding in the barn, but later Illia and Dmytro constructed a shelter in the nearby forest. It was only a few kilometers away from Paliok’s house, so Ladislaus and Stepan were getting food and information regularly.  

At first, the brothers paid Illia for their rescuing, but later he refused to take any values from them. He told them, they became his family. Illia also offered Ladislaus and Stepan to came back to Paliok’s house. He was afraid that their shelter in the forest was uninhabitable during the autumn and winter. In October of 1944 German army abandoned Zakarpattia under the pressure of Soviet forces. Brothers then left their rescuers but not for long. In the summer of 1945, they came back with a carriage of food and drinks, which they presented to Palioks as a gift.

Later brothers decided to emigrate to the West and made the same proposition to Illia, but he refused. In 1945 Stepan and Ladislaus went to the USA. Later Ladislaus removed to Israel. Both brothers were maintaining friendly relations with Illia Paliok’s family.

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In 1997 Illia and Maria Palioks were named the Righteous Among the Nations. One year after the same honorable title was given to their son Dmytro and his wife Melania.