Shershun Dariia, Volodymyr and Oleksandr, Liubyi Dmytro

Widow Dariia Shershun, mother of five children, lived in the village of Lezneve in Khmelnytskyi region (current a micro-district of Khmelnytskyi). During the Holocaust, a Ukrainian family saved 15-year-old Etia Tsalevych from annihilation.

The girl was brought up in an orphanage in the village of Felshtyn (current Hvardiiske village). When the Germans occupied Khmelnytskyi, the shelter was closed and all its inmates were taken to other regions of the country. Etia was the only one who was taken to the labor camp in the village Matskivtsi, near the town of Proskuriv (current Khmelnytskyi). About 300 Jews from the village of Felshtyn were sent there for the road construction. Most of them died due to difficult working conditions, some were exterminated in 1942. Those who survived (Etia Tsalevych was among them) were transferred to the town of Proskuriv in the autumn and placed in a former school. From there, Jews were periodically taken in groups of 50 to the place of execution in the village of Lezneve. In December 1942, Etia found herself in such a group. The Jews were ordered to undress and go down to the firing pit.

When the burst of automatic fire subsided, the girl, lying on the corpses, realized that she had not been hit by any of the bullets. She lay motionless until darkness fell, pretending to be dead. During the first attempt to get out of the pit, she injured her leg and fainted. However, in the end she managed to get out in the dark from under the pile of dead bodies and reach the first village house. Oleksandr Shershun opened the door and immediately understood where this guest was from. He quickly led Etia into the room and called his mother. Dariia was aware that she could be punished for helping a Jewish girl, but taking care of her own five children, she also felt sorry for Etia. She and her eldest sons Oleksandr and Volodymyr took care of the girl. The boys set up a hiding place in the attic, while Dariia treated her numerous wounds. Dmytro Liubyi – the native brother of the hostess helped to hide the Jewish girl, periodically taking her to his house. The Ukrainian family took care of Etia until the end of the occupation.

After the war, the girl got married, and in the 1970s she emigrated to the USA. While there, she continued to keep in touch with her rescuers.

In 2001, Yad Vashem recognized Dariia, Oleksandr and Volodymyr Shershun and Dmytro Liubyi as Righteous Among the Nations.

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