Boiko Lukiia 

Lukia Boiko and her family lived in the village of Markostav in Volyn. They had four children, two daughters, and two sons. It was a hard time. In search of a better life, the husband went to Argentina to work. Saying goodbye in 1939, they both planned that it would be temporary taking leave and that Lukiia and her children would join her husband soon. But they parted forever. The war erased all the plans and dreams of the family. The young woman was left alone but did not give up, she was bravely fighting for survival. Even when a Jew with her three daughters knocked on her door in the fall of 1941, Lukiia sheltered them, realizing that she was risking not only her own life but the lives of her four young children.

"My grandmother was 39 years old at that time. She took care of four children by herself. At her own risk, she took on a mission to save another life. A Jewish woman who asked my grandmother for help left her 16-year-old daughter Mania, and she herself went to a nearby village with her two daughters, Zhenia and Bella. All of them survived and met each other after the war… ». From the memoirs of Liubov Ivanytska, granddaughter of Lukiia Boiko

Mania Goldapel told Lukiia about the hardships her family had to endure. Before the war, the family lived in the village of Kryliv (Poland), and on the eve of the war moved to Volodymyr-Volynskyi. Her father David made his living by fishing, and his wife Helena and daughters helped him. Immediately after the occupation of the city, all the Jews were driven to the ghetto. In the summer, their family was sent to harvest, and then they returned to the ghetto. They were horrified to learn that when they were gone, the Nazis killed six of their aunts, five uncles, and their children, altogether over 60 members of the family. The same day they decided to flee, but David could not get out of the ghetto, he was shot. Helena and her daughters miraculously escaped. For several days they wandered through the woods and fields, spending the nights in the haystacks. There were good people who helped with food, and finally, they found themselves at Lukiia Boiko’s place.

"… She hid on the stove under the pillows, and at that time someone had to sit next to her, because she could sneeze, there should be no any suspicion. But, thank God, everything went like this for two years. The only people in the village who knew about hiding a Jew were the head of the village and grandmother's sister Hanna. My grandmother was a devout believer and she believed that God would protect her and set all her hopes on it. And so it happened that they hid for two years and all of them survived and Mania stayed. She really appreciated that her life was saved… ». From the memories of Liubov Ivanytska

After the war, Helena and her daughters moved to Israel and later to the United States. Almost 70 years have passed, and Mania Leifer-Goldapel still remembered her rescuer, Aunt Lukiia, and her children. She told the story of her rescue to her sons David, Jeffrey, and Sydney, and believed that she would one day learn about the Boiko family. It happened in 2007. Due to her health condition, Mania was unable to fly to Ukraine, but her three sons and daughters-in-law visited the village of Markostav. Unfortunately, Lukiia passed away in 1967, but her son Leonid was alive. He remembered Mania well because he was 10 years old at the time. They talked for a long time via Skype, remembering a difficult childhood.

"Leonid was over 60 and he had a bad health. He greeted us with a sincere smile, he could not stop hugging and kissing us as if we were a lost part of his family. The most emotional moment was when we listened to Leonid and my mother talking on the phone… My mother often told us that Lukiia had taught her to spin and make dough products. But the most valuable thing was that she taught patience, sacrifice, altruism, and courage. Courage to risk oneself for the sake of saving another person… ». From the memoirs of Sydney Leifer, son of the rescued Mania Leifer-Goldapel

On May 21, 2019, Lukiia Boiko was posthumously awarded the title of "Righteous Among the Nations". The award was presented to the family on February 5, 2020, in Lviv. Unfortunately, Leonid died two months before the event, so his daughter Liubov Ivanytska received a diploma and a medal. The children of the rescued, David and Sydney Leifer came from the USA to the award ceremony.

"… My mother was 16 years old when the Nazis captured Volodymyr-Volynskyi. Grandpa David tried to save his family, but he was killed. I am very grateful to the people who then decided to take risk to save their neighbors. They chose the mission of their lives to save people who were doomed to death. Lukiia Boiko, a single mother became the savior of my mother… ». From the memoirs of David Leifer, son of the rescued Mania Leifer-Goldapel