Liya Bubnova (Kohan)

Liya Kohan was born on August 25, 1911, in the town of Novohrad-Volynsky (presently Zviahel).

Her family: father – Avram Kohan, mother – Khasya, born Lytvak.

Liya moved to Kyiv, where she worked as a cashier in a pharmacy on Vorovskogo Street (presently Bulvarno-Kudriavska Street). The building no longer exists. She married Hryhorii Bubnov, a native of Odesa of Russian descent. In April 1935, their son Valentyn was born. Bubnov family lived at 16 Dmytrivska Street, in a twostory wing, occupying one room in a large communal apartment. That building exists no more.

With the outbreak of the German-Soviet war and given the rumors about Nazi treatment of Jews, the Jewish population of Kyiv faced a choice: to evacuate or to stay. Liya’s parents and sisters, who were in Kyiv at the time, decided to leave the city. They urged Liya to go with them, but she refused.

Around September 20, Nazis came to their apartment searching for radios, weapons, or vodka, but found nothing. Liya invited them for tea with pie, and they agreed. The conversation was in German. One of the soldiers noticed Valentyn’s fascination with their appearance and gave the sick boy a helmet to play with.

On September 28, an announcement appeared ordering Jews of Kyiv and its surroundings to gather at 8 a.m. on September 29, 1941, at the corner of Melnykova and Dehtiarivska Streets. The family began to prepare. Valentyn recalled that on the evening of September 28, his parents told him to go to bed early. His father took out a large suitcase, and together with his mother they began packing it. The boy could not fall asleep and asked Liya to tell him a story. She began singing an old Jewish melody, and he fell asleep holding his mother’s hand.

Valentyn was told that Liya was going to visit relatives in Novohrad-Volynsky and would return soon. He tried to put his toy rifle into her suitcase, hoping his mother would take him along.

Liya Bubnova was murdered at Babyn Yar on September 29 or 30, 1941.

Her husband and son survived. It was Valentyn, Liya’s son, who preserved her memory.