Yemelianova Anastasia

Yemelianova, Anastasia Vasilieva, Ustinia On the eve of the German invasion of Lithuania, Antonina Kolman, of Russian origin, lived in Kaunas with her Jewiah husband, Isaak Kolman, and their four children, Boris, the twins Raisa, and Zhenia, and Sofija. Shortly after the Germans entered Kaunas, the Kolman family was interned in the ghetto. Although she could have remained outside the ghetto, Antonina chose to live with her family in the ghetto, and they were helped by her sisters, Anastasia (Ana) Yemelianova and Ustinia Vasilieva, who lived in the village of Milikoniai. At great risk to their own lives, the two would sneak into the ghetto from time to time and bring the Kolman family food and clothing. In the spring of 1942, they began to plan the escape of the Kolmans from the ghetto. After smuggling them out, they took them to Milikoniai and carefully hid their presence from the other residents. The Kolmans remained there until the end of the German occupation. On March 29, 1999, Yad Vashem recognized Anastasia Yemelianova and Ustinia Vasilieva as Righteous Among the Nations.