Tymchenko Myron and Yevdokiia

Liza Tabakman lived with her parents and grandmother in Odesa. In 1937 Yakiv Tabakman was arrested and accused of being the “enemy of the state”.

“Once some unknown people came to our home and took my father away. I remember the moment he took me in his hands and lift me above his head. Father went with those people and I have never ever seen him again…”. From the memoirs of Liudmyla Tymchenko (Liza Tabakman)

Liza’s mother Klara worked as a ticket inspector, so little Liza frequently traveled around the city by tram. On her birthday the girl finally got the violin and started to attend her music lessons. But Liza failed to finish them, due to the beginning of the war…

“I remember the Romanian army on the streets of our city, and I remember that I was afraid. And then my mother with granny started to remove all our possession to the apartment of the janitor: sewing machine, my violin, and many other things. Later, some people in the military uniforms appeared and took all the Jews from our neighborhood to the ghetto”. From the memoirs of Liudmyla Tymchenko (Liza Tabakman)

The ghetto in the city of Odesa was organized in January of 1942. It was located on the outskirts of the city, in the neighborhood of Slobidka. Jews lived there in extremely over-crowded conditions. There were not enough apartments, so many died because of hypothermia. Together with other Jewish families, Liza with her mother and granny were settled in the house which was divided into two parts. There was a married couple of Myron and Yevdokiia Tymchenko living in the second part. Liza was frequently visiting them because she knew that Yevkokiia will always warm and feed her.

Soon, the rumors about the liquidation of the ghetto started circulating. Jews were forced to leave the ghetto for the camps outside the city where they were killed. Liza’s mother and granny were deported and killed by thousands of others. 9-year-old Liza was hidden by Myron Tymchenko. He ordered her to stay in the barrel which was located in the henhouse. After the deportation was finished, Myron and Yevdokiia took Liza to their house and forbade her to leave the apartment. Myron cut off her curly black hair, and Yevdokiia taught her some Christian prays.   

There were anti-Jewish raids from time to time. Once, someone betrayed Tymchenkys and police came to their home, searching for a Jewish girl.  They were pointing a gun at Myron and asking: «Where is this Jewish girl? ». Myron replied: «There is no one here! Go and search! »

“When Germans came, I managed to escape from the house through the secret exit. I was hiding on the local garbage dump till grandfather Myron found me. They loved me very much.  I stayed with them after the war, as none of my relatives responded. I got new documents and since that moment I was Liudmyla Tymchenko…” From the memoirs of Liudmyla Tymchenko (Liza Tabakman)

On May 3, 2011, Myron and Yevdokiia were named the “Righteous Among the Nations”.