Righteous Among the Nations Oleksandra Shulezhko: How a Ukrainian Woman Saved 102 Children During the Holocaust

It is well known that on May 14th, Ukraine marks the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians Who Rescued Jews During World War II. These people were awarded the honorary title of Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel for saving Jews from the Nazi policy of extermination.

Among them is Oleksandra Maksymivna Shulezhko, a kindergarten teacher from Cherkasy, who saved 102 children during the war, including 25 Jewish children.

In her honor, Pushkin Street in Cherkasy was renamed, according to the press service of the Cherkasy City Council.

The Heroine’s Story: From Kindergarten to Righteous Among the Nations

The war caught Oleksandra Shulezhko in Cherkasy, where she worked as a kindergarten teacher. She was unable to evacuate with her two small children, and on August 22, 1941, German troops entered the city. Every day, the number of orphans and homeless children grew. One day she saw a child next to the body of a murdered woman and took the child home. This gave rise to the idea of creating a shelter.

Courage and Risk

Oleksandra approached the City Administration for permission to open the shelter. She managed to obtain this permission, but received no assistance from the new authorities. Working with her in the shelter were:

• Ivan Mykhailovych Kushnir
• Motria Ivanivna Kushnir
• Maria Panasivna Myrets
• Pavlo Ivanovych Alforov

The shelter became a refuge for dozens of children. After the mass executions of Jews, the number of children increased even more.

Helping Jews and Roma was punishable by death, but Oleksandra Shulezhko and her helpers did not give up.

She registered the children under false names and nationalities. None of them ever revealed the secret of the shelter’s existence.

Heroic Ingenuity

Shulezhko saved the children thanks to her knowledge of German and her resourcefulness. She misled the German administration and skillfully hid the children. The shelter kept chickens, goats, and piglets so that the children could survive. The Jewish children were registered as Ukrainians, Greeks, Armenians, or Tatars depending on their appearance. During inspections, they were hidden in an isolation room, with claims they were infectious patients.

When the Germans retreated, the shelter was forcibly evacuated. Some children were placed with local villagers, but Shulezhko had to leave with the others. In Vinnytsia Oblast, she managed to bring the children back to Cherkasy, taking advantage of the Germans’ confusion.

NAnews – Israel News emphasizes that thanks to the courage and self-sacrifice of Oleksandra Shulezhko, 102 children were saved from death and hunger, including 25 Jewish children.

After Liberation: Unjust Accusation

After the liberation of Cherkasy, the Soviet authorities accused Oleksandra Shulezhko of treason.

The children were taken away from her, she was forbidden to contact them and to work in her profession. She was only able to work as a registrar at a clinic. Despite this, she continued to help people — she donated over 150 liters of blood. Until 1968, Shulezhko was suspected of collaboration with the fascists, but she never complained or lost hope.

A Memory That Cannot Be Erased

In 1963, Oleksandra retired and moved to Kyiv to live with her daughter Larysa. In 1968, she was given a partisan ID.

Only years after her death in 1994, in 1996, the Israeli memorial Yad Vashem recognized Oleksandra Shulezhko as a Righteous Among the Nations. Her name was engraved on the Wall of Remembrance in the Avenue of the Righteous in Jerusalem.

In addition, the memory of the heroine has been honored:

• August 5, 2013 – a memorial plaque was installed in Cherkasy at 200 Khreshchatyk Street
• December 22, 2022 – Pushkin Street in Cherkasy was renamed in honor of Righteous Among the Nations Shulezhko
• 2015 – the documentary “Oleksandra Shulezhko. The Fate of the Righteous” was released
• 2017 – she was posthumously awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of Cherkasy”
• March 14, 2019 – presentation of the second expanded edition of the book “In Memory of a Famous Countrywoman”

A Symbol of Memory and Cooperation

The story of Oleksandra Shulezhko is a symbol of Ukrainian-Jewish brotherhood and mutual support in the darkest of times. There are over 27,000 Righteous Among the Nations from more than 50 countries, with 2,673 of them being Ukrainians. This ranks Ukraine fourth in the world, after Poland, the Netherlands, and France.

NAnews – Israel News notes that heroes like Oleksandra Shulezhko inspire us to remember and pass these stories on to future generations. Her feat reminds us that humanity triumphs even in the most terrible times.

The story of Oleksandra Shulezhko is a powerful example of courage and self-sacrifice that unites Ukrainians and Jews, Israel and Ukraine.

May her memory be eternal, and may such heroes remain symbols of hope and faith in good.