Petrovskyi Vasylian

Vasylian Petrovskyi, an educated and wealthy man, lived in the city of Kolomyia, Stanislavska (current – Ivano-Frankivsk) region. Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, representatives of other nationalities found a common language in the city. Petrovskyi often collaborated with the Jew David Likvornyk, who kept a workshop for working with metal.

During the German-Soviet war in early July 1941, the city was occupied by Hungarian troops. The life of the Jewish community has changed significantly. On the very first day, the occupiers gathered 20 of its most respected representatives, forced them to topple the monument to Lenin, and then shot them. At the end of the month, all Jews were required to wear armbands with the Star of David and began to be involved in forced labor: cleaning streets, parks, sewers, and repairing roads.

The German administration, which came to Kolomyia in August 1941, created a Judenrat and obliged the Jews to surrender their gold, silver and jewels. Their first mass execution in the city took place on the day of the Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah. About 3 thousand people were gathered three days before in the prison premises and eventually shot in the Shepariv Forest. Actions to exterminate Jews – both from Kolomyia and those deported from Hungary and nearby cities and towns – took place until the end of 1941 and throughout 1942.

In November 1941, the city's Jews began to be relocated to the ghetto. A high fence with barbed wire surrounded its territory; the German gendarmerie, Ukrainian and Jewish police guarded it. The family of David Likvornyk was among the residents of the ghetto. Slaves went to work in small groups every day. One morning, Vasylian Petrovskyi met with such a group. He noticed David in it and, rooting for the fate of his old friend, assured him that in case of need he could always count on him and shelter in his house.

A few weeks after that meeting, the occupiers began another action in the Kolomyia ghetto to exterminate Jews unable to work, and the rest ones were taken to the Belzec concentration camp. In the chaos that ensued, David Likvornyk and his son Iieshaiahu hid between the buildings and escaped to freedom at night. Having thus avoided transport to the death camp, they headed for Vasylian's house. Petrovskyi, as he promised, did not refuse his acquaintances. His house was surrounded by a dense garden. In the building next door, the owner rented out small apartments. Two Polish women lived in one of them, and he settled fugitives in the other one. He informed the tenants that their new neighbors are workers who will repair the farm buildings. When it became dangerous to remain in the open house, David and Iieshaiahu dug a shelter under the floor (where they lived until the return of the Soviet troops). Later, their relatives – the Aizenkraft and Bliuma Fohel families – and other Jews who were also lucky enough to escape from the ghetto joined them. In total, 16 people were saved in Vasylian Petrovskyi's hideout. Each family dug a separate shelter for themselves – so the apartment now had a less suspicious appearance.

It was difficult to take care of so many fugitives alone. His cousin Henia helped Vasylian. Hiding from his neighbors so as not to attract attention, Petrovskyi bought food in small batches, prepared and brought food to his wards in a bucket, from which he fed the domestic animals.

Saving the Jews, Vasylian risked his life and throughout the war, he could not get rid of his fear. Every time he heard that Jews had been exposed nearby, he became more and more worried for himself and the residents of his shelter. Despite this, he did not give up caring for the suffering. During the Nazi occupation, Petrovskyi also helped other acquaintances. In particular, a few months before the expulsion of Hitler's troops from the city of Kolomyia, he decided to forge documents for two Ukrainians who were to be sent to forced labor in Germany. However, he was caught doing this and sent to prison. From then until the arrival of the Red Army, Henia took care of Jewish refugees.

After the Second World War, the saved David and Iieshaiahu Likvornyk emigrated to Poland, and from there to Israel. In Poland, they learned that Vasylian Petrovskyi had also suffered from the Soviet government. He was arrested as a “capitalist”. After serving his sentence, he returned to Kolomyia.

In 1996, Yad Vashem honored Vasylian Petrovskyi with the title of Righteous Among the Nations. Unfortunately, his sister Henia, who risked her life with her brother, helping Jews doomed to destruction was not officially recognized. However, this in no way diminishes her participation in the noble cause of rescuing the persecuted.