Rastrenina Olha and Mykola

  Olha Rastrenina was born in Kyiv. She grew up in a rather difficult period of history, which probably made from a little girl a compassionate woman.  In 1925 her son Mykola was born.  Olha and her husband worked very hard to feed their family.  But as the German-Soviet war began in 1941, the man was called to the front and forced to leave home for war.

   It should be mentioned, that in 1937 family of Lokshtanov lived in the same apartment with Olha’s family, because Hryhoriy Lokshtanov was arrested in 1937, and his wife, Maria stayed with their daughter Zoya. So, at the beginning of the German occupation, two families lived in the same apartment without men.

  On September 29, 1941, Maria Lokshtanova disobeyed the order of the German authorities and didn’t go to Babyn Yar. She took her daughter and fled to her friend in the other part of Kyiv.  But on October 30, she returned to the Rastrenins' apartment.  Olha Rastrenina, realized the danger of this situation. Together with her son, she began preparations for hiding Maria and her daughter Zoya.  The basement of a neighboring house, which at that time was empty, seemed to be the best shelter. While Mykola was trying to lock the door, Olha searched for the old furniture to disguise the storage.  After everything was done, the Rastrenins brought mattresses and warm clothes from home. They agreed on a specific time when they would be bringing food. Looking at this, the neighboring family of Kozlowskyis decided to help them. With the help of two compassionate families, the Lokshtanovs were saved. They stayed in the shelter until the liberation of Kyiv from the Nazi occupiers.

   After the war, Maria went to work at one of the factories in Kyiv, her daughter Zoya studied and graduated from the Kyiv Technical School, after which she became a worker on a topographic factory.  Later she married and became a mother for two sons.

   Mykola Rastrenin went to war, like his father. He returned home with two “Orders of glory” and went to the “Prombuddetal” plant in Kyiv.

  After the war, Olha Rastrenina went to work in one of the laundry plants in Kyiv.

The Rastrenins family received the title of "Righteous of Babyn Yar" in 1988, and the title of "Righteous Among the Nations" in 1999.  Unfortunately, Olha Rastrenina received both titles posthumously.