Patiuta Moisei & Anisiya ; Daughter: Natalia ; Daughter: Kozakova Ksenia (Patiuta); Daughter: Praskovia ; Daughter: Olga

Patyuta, Moisey Patyuta, Anisya Patyuta, Natalya Kozakova (Patyuta), Oksana Patyuta, Praskovya Patyuta, Olga Moisey Patyuta, his wife, Anisya, and their daughters, Natalya (b. 1909), Oksana (b. 1915), Praskovya (b. 1920), and Olga (b. 1922), lived on Pankovska Street in Kiev. They were good friends of Nadezhda Gusareva, a Jewish woman who was raising her son Iosif alone. In the early days of the German occupation, Gusareva sent nine-year-old Iosif to the Patyuta family, where he stayed for the duration of the war. The Patyutas introduced Iosif to people as a relative from out of town. Gusareva refused to go into hiding and she was murdered in Babi Yar in October 1941. One day, the police paid a visit to the Patyutas’ home after they were betrayed to the authorities. Patyuta welcomed them, hosted them for a meal, and managed to convince them that his “nephew” was not Jewish. In 1942, Moisey Patyuta died and the burden of providing for the family and their ward fell upon the shoulders of his widow and their daughters. Despite struggling financially, they continued to look after Iosif, tending to his needs, listening to his fears, and comforting him over the loss of his mother. Over the three years that Iosif stayed with the Patyutas, the emotional bond between them grew very strong. After the war, he lived with them as a member of the household. He left only in 1949, when he enrolled in a military boarding school. Through the years, Iosif never lost contact with his adoptive family. On February 6, 1992, Yad Vashem recognized Moisey and Anisya Patyuta and their daughters, Natalya Patyuta, Oksana Kozakova, Praskovya Patyuta, and Olga Patyuta, as Righteous Among the Nations.