ORAL HISTORY OF UKRAINIAN CANADAexcerpt from the Interview with HALYNA JUNYK
HALYNA JUNYK
Date and Place of Birth: May 27, 1935, Smllv, Kharkiv obl. Ukraine
Date of Interview: May 14, 2023
Place of Interview: Toronto, Ontario
Interviewer: Andriy Shwec
Length of Interview: 2 hours
(Excerpt):
HJ: Throughout our journey we had a few incidents. As we were traveling through Zaporizhzhia on a bridge, we were attacked by Soviet aircraft but fortunately no one was injured. Some time later, we stopped to allow a German military convoy which was going towards the front to pass. At that time, I was sitting on a wagon and a German officer saw me. I had blue eyes and blonde hair and because of this he became interested in me. He offered my parents 500 Marks and assured them I would be well taken care of by his wife in Germany who will send me to school, take care of me, and I will have a good life. Obviously, my parents and I were frightened, and they refused to sell me. The officer was persistent however, and luckily for us had to leave when his convoy began leaving.
Interviewer: Were you afraid that he would take you by force?
HJ: We were afraid of that and were very happy that he had to leave.
CROSS REFERENCES:
• Stolen Child, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
• Plast
• Ukrainians in Belgium 1920-1950, Machteld Venken and Idesbald Goddeeris