Pereplechinski Vladimir & Pereplechinskaya Maria

Pereplechinski, Vladimir Pereplechinskaya, Mariya Vladimir Pereplechinski, his wife, Mariya, and their four young children lived in the town of Grigoriopol in the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in Ukraine (from 1940 in the Moldavian SSR [today Moldova]), which was invaded by the Germans and Romanians early in July 1941. One day in September of that year, after the area was included in Transnistria, under Romanian control, Mariya brought home a young girl, who was not from the village. She introduced her to her children as Klavdiya and told them she would be staying in their home for a while. Klavdiya Vainshtein was not previously acquainted with Mariya, but had turned to her by chance. Mariya offered her help out of compassion, and it was only when they arrived at her home, that she learned that Klavdiya was Jewish. Klavdiya told the Pereplechinskis about the mass murder during which her parents were killed, and how she had fled the death pit. During her flight, Klavdiya had been wounded by a bullet and lost a great deal of blood. During the many months of her recovery, Klavdiya helped her hosts with household chores and looked after the children. When strangers came to the house, she used to hide, until she became accustomed to the new place and to way of life of the Moldavian farmers. When she could speak the local language, the Pereplechinskis introduced her to neighbors as their relative. Throughout the occupation, Klavdiya lived with the Pereplechinskis and was like a member of the family. After the liberation, in March 1944, Klavdiya returned to her native town of Cotiugeni in the Moldavian SSR, and later moved to Kishinev (today Chişinău). She stayed in touch with her rescuers for many years. On February 11, 1999, Yad Vashem recognized Vladimir Pereplechinski and Mariya Pereplechinskaya as Righteous Among the Nations.