Nezhevenko Philimon, Yephrosyniia, Vira and Olena

In 1939, 33,150 Jews (35.6% of the total population) lived in Vinnytsia. After the beginning of the war between the Third Reich and the Soviet Union, some Jewish men were mobilized into the Red Army and some families were able to evacuate, but 18,000 Jews remained in the city.

   Vinnytsia was occupied on July 19, 1941, and by the end of the month, the first massacre took place. 146 Jews were killed. A number of them were members of the first Vinnytsia’ Judenrat (Jewish Council).

   Another 600 Jews of Vinnytsia were killed by Einzatzkomand-6 in the first half of August 1941.

   On September 12, 1941, about a thousand Jews were killed by the personnel of the 3rd Company of the 304th Reserve Battalion near Sheremetka village, Vinnytsia region. The general management of these shootings was carried out by the police lieutenant Panis, commander of the 1st Platoon of the 3rd Company.

   On September 19, 1941, another massacre took place, committed by the 45th Reserve Battalion. About 10 thousand people were killed.

   Philimon Nezhevenko, his wife, Yephrosyniia, and their daughters: Olena (born 1925) and Vira (born 1928) lived on the outskirts of Vinnytsia. They were parishioners of the local Orthodox Church. From April to June 1942, Yakiv Kalynovsky hid in their home. Kalynovskiy lived in Vinnytsia. At the beginning of the war, he joined the ranks of the Red Army. He was sent to the front, and in August 1941 he was captured.

   A month later he managed to escape, after that he returned to his hometown, where he found that his apartment had been robbed and everything that could be taken was stolen. To his delight, he learned that his parents had managed to evacuate to Central Asia. Until April 1942, Yakiv Kalynovskyi lived with his acquaintance - a dentist, but on April 16, 1942, all local Jews were ordered to gather at the stadium, and his acquaintance and her husband themselves sought protection from their friends. Kalynowskiy decided to seek help from the Nezhevenko family. They were ready to host Yakiv in their house. They fed him and made a living place on the roof for him. On the next day they heard that all who came to the stadium were killed and Nezhevenko moved him to the attic of their home, which was relatively safe to hide. Philimon Nezhevenko or one of his daughters brought Yaakov's food twice a day, they told him all the news from the front and did everything in their power to support him. While Yakiv Kalynovskiy was hiding in the attic, Nezhevenko made several attempts to obtain documents for him. Once there was a fire in the attic, and then Jacob was moved to another hiding place.

   One day, Jacob was informed that 40 kilometers from Vinnytsia, in the Romanian-controlled Zhmerynka, there was a large ghetto for Jews. At his request, Philimon Nezhevenko found a guide, and he transported Yakiv through the Bug River, on the border between the German and Romanian occupation zones. Soon Yakiv Kalynovskiy reached Zhmerynka, and there, in March 1944, he witnessed the liberation of this city from the Nazi occupation.

For many years after the war, he maintained good relations with the Nezhevenko family, and this connection did not break even after his immigration to Israel. On June 30, 1983, Yad Vashem honored Philimon and Yephrosyniia Nezhevenko and their children, Olena Boroday and Vira Nezhevenko with the title of Righteous Among the Nations.