Deineko Marko, Lidia and Oksana

The family of Deineko lived in Uzhachyn  in the area of Novograd-Volyn in Zhytomyr region. When the German-Soviet war began,  father, Mark Timofeevich, was 41, he worked at the railroad, was not mobilized to the Red Army, since he had a "reservation". The wife, Lydia Gerasimivna, worked at home as a mistress, took care of  two children. Oksana's eldest daughter was 13 years old in 1941, son Ananias was just 2 years old. His family lived on the outskirts of the village, the hut was standing in the middle of the field.

In July 1941, Uzhachin was occupied by Nazis  and "hunting for Jews" began. Among other doomed inhabitants was the Keselman family. At first they were sent to the ghetto in the city of Novograd-Volynsky, and then to the shooting. When the colony led to the place of execution, Zina Keselman (Zlata), along with her two-year son Naum, could escape to the forest. A pre-war acquaintance who now works as a policeman helped. In the forest they were found by Taras Mamanchuk . The man was appointed by the occupiers as an assistant to the headmanof the village. For a while, he hid his mother and his son, and when it became dangerous, he informed his friend, Mark Deineko.

In the evening, at the Deineko family meeting it was decided to take Zina. Marco and Lidia knew Zina's father – Andriy Keselman. He visited them, helped. The saviors hoped that since they live on the outskirts of the village, nobody will know about their guests.

About a year, Deineko family hid Zina and Naum Keselmann. They lived poorly, but friendly. The younger boys played together, and Oksana's eldest son became the nanny for Naum: she was caring, taking him to the field or to the wood, watching him from various household dangers.

"The fact that the parents kept two cows was rescuing. Often she went to the field to gather the potatoes. Zina’s son was always first fed  and then they ate". From memories of Oksana Antypchuk (Deineko)

Senior members of Deineko family and Oksana were fully aware of the danger they faced with hiding Jews. In the village they repeatedly heard sounds of shots in the local tract of Loza. Once, Oksana even saw with her own eyes how the earth was moving on the grave of the newly-shot Jews.

"Our house was in the field. No one knew about Zina with a child, except for a neighbor, my friend, and another neighbor knew it... They were very good people. No one informed against us. "From memories of Oksana Antipchuk (Deineko)

One day in 1942 relative Hanna came to Deineko family. The parents were working and called Zina to help. The woman accidentally witnessed this scene and learned about the secret. She informed against the relatives to the village's headman, and he told the occupiers.

"She said to everyone:" Marco hides Jew!” From memories of Oksana Antipchuk (Deineko)

The village headman’s assistant secretly came to Oksana, who worked at the stables, gave her a piece of sugar and ordered her to run home and warn her parents about the planned search. Oksana rushed home and told her mother warning (there was no father at that moment at home). Lidia Gerasimivna hid Zina in the chest, covering with the cloth, and the 13-year-old daughter with Naum were ordered to hide under the stove.  A search began. Oksana gave Naum a piece of sugar to stop crying and tightened him. Mother at that time took on the hands her youngest son, Ananiy, and began to force him to pinch, so that he would weep and distract the attention of the Germans if Naum cries. The headman, entering the house, immediately asked why the child was crying and where they hid the Jews. Lidia Gerasimivna answered that her son was ill, but they did not hide the Jews. The "sickness" of the boy frightened and stopped the invaders. They abandoned the further search and left the house, warning that if they found the Jews, they would shoot their family.

“It was terrible. God gave strength so that he would not cry there when the German was in the house. Then, when he went out, he said to me: "Aunty, aunty". He cried out, and my heart was cold...” From memories of Oksana Antipchuk (Deineko)

This visit made Deineko family seek a new refuge for Zina with her son. Marco took them to a neighboring village to his nephew Mykola Daniuk and his wife Katerina. According to the request of relatives, he asked a friend in the police to issue legitimate documents for Zina and Naum. The husband also persuaded a neighbor who had contact with the partisans to take Zina to the detachment. Naum promised to return to her, but Katerina Daniuk asked to leave the boy because she did not have her own children.

“Our neighbor was a partisan. Mother says: "Come on, Marco, to him, maybe they will take her to the guerrillas ...” "From memories of Oksana Antipchuk (Deineko)

After the war Zina returned home. She searched for her son, but it turned out that his rescuers - Nikolai and Katerina Daniuk - had adopted a boy, baptised and named Anatoly. At that time, Naum (Anatoly) was already in the first grade. He did not remember his real mother. New “parents” asserted that they did not know Zina and the child was found abandoned in the woods. In despair, Zina appealed for help to the Deineko family again. They initiated a judicial investigation on which Marco was a witness. Therefore, the son managed to turn his mother back, and the family of Deineko saved Keselman for the second time.

In the future, Mark and Zina's relationship became more complicated. He suffered from tuberculosis. One day, Marco asked a woman to take him to the house for several days from the hospital, she did not refuse, but he would not let come in, as she was afraid of illness.

However, Naum (Anatoly) had never forgot about the family of Deineko who saved his life. He called Oksana Markivna the second mother. He died two months before the salvors were awarded a diploma "The Righteous among the Nations".

Marco Tymofijovych Deineko died in 1961, his wife Lydia Gerasimivna – in 1963. Oksana's daughter (with the second marriage name Antipchuk) lives with her children in Kyiv.

Yad Vashem Memorial Complex honored the title «The Righteous among the Nations» to them on September 4, 2014. The honorary letter identifies the names of three family members – Mark, Lydia Deineko and their daughter Oksana. The award took place on June 16, 2016 at the National Museum of History of Ukraine in the Second World War. Memorial Complex (Kyiv). 88-year-old Oksana Antipchuk (Deineko) received the medal and honorary diploma from the hands of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the State of Israel to Ukraine Eliav Belotserkovsky. The names of family members are carved on the Wall in the Memory of the Alley of the Righteous among the Nations in Yad Vashem.