Kormylo Mykhailo

Mykhailo Kormylo lived with his wife Stefa and little daughter Nadiika in the village of Myshkovychi in Ternopil region. During the Nazi occupation of the region, he worked at a local distillery.

In the first decade of July 1941, the region was occupied by Hitler's troops. Already on July 4, the murders of Jews in the city of Ternopil began. The pogrom, the largest in the region, lasted until July 11. About 5 thousand people were executed in the city during the week.

Yakiv Hold, a resident of the regional center, worked at the plant together with Mykhailo. Men made friends. When it became dangerous, the Jew asked to shelter him, his wife and brother. Mykhailo agreed; arranged a small hiding place in the shed, where Yakiv with Betia and Bentsion soon moved. In the spring of 1943, 22-year-old Soniia Mandel joined them. When rumors spread about the liquidation of forced labor camps, one of which the girl was in, she decided to run away. Wandering, she came across the house of the Kormylo, who sheltered her. The Ukrainian family took care of the Jews until the Nazis were expelled. Although some neighbors suspected that Mykhailo and Stefa were helping the persecuted, no one reported it to the occupation authorities.

After the war, the Hold family emigrated to the USA, and Soniia Mandel – to Israel. The connection between the rescuers and the rescued was lost. Only in 1992, Sofiia Yoffe (Mandel) found contacts with the Ukrainian family.

In 1992, Yad Vashem recognized Mykhailo Kormylo as the Righteous Among the Nations.

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