Karpika Maya

Maya Karpika was born on February 28, 1928, in the village Hlynske, Vinnytsia region. Before the war, her father was a teacher and her mother was a housekeeper. During the war, the family was living in village Kordelivka and was engaged in agricultural activity.

«Before the war me, nor my father knew Anya.  But in 1942, probably in May, I can’t remember, Germans made the camp for Jews in the building of collective farm.  Each morning Jews were forced to work on the airfield and in the evenings they were returning to the camp. Such poor people. Young and old. They were so hungry. Villagers, those who lived closer to the camp, were bringing them food» From memoirs of Maya Karpika

One day, Maya's mother took a boiled potato, a bottle of milk, some bread, and went to the camp. Then the woman saw Anya. She was sad and stayed away from others. On the next day, Maya went together with her mother, and since that day she was bringing food for Anya every evening. They were coming back home in tears.

«We felt such pity for all of them, but mostly for Anya. She was looking like my girlfriend. Before the war started, I was friendly with girl Ira, who was also Jewish, but she was evacuated. Together with my mother, we were thinking about what to do. It was obvious to us that Anya will be killed together with others. During our small family council, it was decided by me and my parents, that Anya should be saved» From memoirs of Maria Karpika

Maya with her mother continued to visit Anya, even after the camp was removed to Kalynivka. Maya’s mother told Anya, that the will be waiting for her at any moment if she will escape from the camp. And in one evening Anya finally knocked on their doors. Usually, Anya was hiding behind the furnace. Also, there was a hiding place on the attic, for special and most dangerous occasions. Nazi could visit them at any moment. Anya was going outside only at night. One month after Anya came to Maya’s family house, Nazi troops entered the village. Maya’s mother gave Anya her own clothes and package with some food. Then she led Anya to the outskirts of the village and the girl went to another family. The fact of the salvation of a Jewish girl was a huge secret for all relatives of Maya’s family till the end of the war.

«After many years passed Anya finally found me. I lived in Dnipropetrovsk and Anya in Vinnytsia. My parents have already died. We started mailing and meting each other» From memoirs of Maya Karpika

In 1999 Maya Karpika and her parents Yuriy and Iryna Turovski became the Righteous Among the Nations.