During the Great Patriotic War, it was a tragic reality that many Soviet families lost sons, fathers, and brothers on the battlefield. Entire households often found themselves without a single male survivor after the brutal conflict. Amid this harsh reality, the story of Evdokia Danilovna Lysenko and her ten sons remains a striking exception. Hailing from the small Ukrainian village of Brovakhy, these ten brothers were sent to the frontlines during the Second World War. In a rare and extraordinary outcome, all ten returned home alive, defying the odds of a war that claimed millions of lives.
The Lysenko Family
The Lysenko family lived in the quiet village of Brovakhy, located in the heart of central Ukraine, in what is now the Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi district. Known for their resilience and deep-rooted family values, Ivan and Olga Lysenko raised ten sons: Mikhail, Feodosiy, Pyotr, Ivan, Andrey, Pavel, Vasiliy, Alexander, Nikolay, and Stepan. From a young age, the brothers learned the importance of unity and determination. Their father, a veteran of the First World War, passed down stories of bravery and survival, while their mother nurtured in them a strong sense of compassion and responsibility. Before the war, the eldest brother, Feodosiy, was 30 years old and worked as a driver. Stepan operated tractors, Pavel was a shepherd, Vasiliy worked in construction, and the youngest, Alexander, at just 14, was employed in the village forge. As the Second World War engulfed Europe, the Lysenko brothers answered the call to serve. Each was assigned to a different unit on various fronts.
The Lysenko Brothers and the War
Mikhail
Mikhail served as an infantry reconnaissance soldier, enduring the harsh battles of the Korsun pocket. His bravery earned him a commendation for setting fire to an enemy headquarters in a village. Near Kanev, he was surrounded by enemy forces and eventually captured, but he managed to escape captivity. After a lengthy recovery in the hospital, Mikhail returned to the front in 1944, where he took part in the liberation of Ukraine, Moldova, and Hungary. During a battle near Iasi, Feodosiy unexpectedly encountered his brother Mikhail in a trench. Reflecting on that emotional moment, Feodosiy later said: “I was heading out on reconnaissance with my comrades, carrying grenades, machine gun disks, and a machine gun. Exhausted and hungry, I glanced over and saw my brother Mikhail in a trench. ‘Mikhail, is that you?’ I called out. ‘Yes, it’s me,’ he replied. ‘Are you alive?’ I asked. ‘Alive,’ he answered. I rushed to his trench and embraced him. The exhaustion vanished instantly. It turned out I was heading out on reconnaissance just as he was returning. We couldn’t stop talking, and we were both in tears.” Mikhail’s service came to an end near the Hungarian city of Miskolc, where he sustained a severe chest wound. He celebrated victory from a hospital in Yerevan. When he returned home, it was as a war invalid, he carried with him the prestigious Order of Glory for his bravery.
Feodosiy and Pyotr
Feodosiy, like his brother Mikhail, served in reconnaissance. However, his luck ran out near Budapest when his team encountered a minefield, resulting in the loss of his leg. Pyotr, meanwhile, served as a telephone operator throughout the war, eventually returning home in 1946.
Ivan
Ivan fought valiantly in the defense of Cherkasy, Lubny, Romny, and Kyiv. He was eventually captured and sent to the Treblinka concentration camp, from which he later managed to escape. Ivan’s wartime journey concluded in the Romanian city of Pascani, where he was honored with the “For Courage” medal for his bravery.
Andrey and Pavel
Andrey was captured shortly and taken to Germany for forced labor. After a month of enduring harsh conditions, he managed to escape and returned to the front lines in 1944. During the fighting near Iasi, he sustained injuries but eventually made his way back home to his family. Pavel, like Andrey, was also sent to Germany for forced labor. He was liberated by the 1st Ukrainian Front and chose to continue westward with the advancing forces.
Vasiliy
Vasiliy emerged as the only officer among the Lysenko brothers, holding the rank of senior lieutenant and commanding a rifle platoon. His service was marked by intense battles as he fought his way from Ukraine to Budapest, during which he sustained wounds on three separate occasions. In recognition of his bravery and exceptional heroism, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star, noting his commitment to his comrades and the mission.
Alexander
Alexander served as a signalman during the war, ultimately making his way to Berlin. He earned the medal “For Courage” for his remarkable efforts in repairing communication lines amid fierce fighting, often under extreme conditions. Yana Lysenko, his niece, fondly recalled, “My grandfather was the only one of the Lysenko brothers who inscribed the Reichstag. All the brothers took great pride in that accomplishment.”
Nikolay
Nikolay, having arrived at the front at the age of twenty, fought for only a month – in 1943, near Zhitomir, a direct hit tore apart a “forty-five” gun, seven soldiers died on the spot, Nikolai ended up in the hospital with wounded legs. In 1944, he was discharged from the hospital and sent home to his mother.
Stepan
Stepan served as a tank operator during the war, experiencing the full brutality of combat. Near Smolensk, his tank was hit and engulfed in flames, leaving him with serious burns. Despite his injuries, he continued to fight and was later wounded again in Eastern Prussia. After recovering, Stepan was redeployed to Manchuria to join the battle against the Japanese. However, by the time he arrived, the war had already ended. He was the last of the Lysenko brothers to return home, finally reuniting with his family in 1947.
Evdokia Danilovna: The Hero Mother
For years, Evdokia Danilovna waited in vain for any news from the front lines. Having lost her husband in 1933, she single-handedly raised five daughters and a total of sixteen children, though one tragically passed away in infancy. Despite enduring the hardships of German occupation, she persevered, and fate ultimately rewarded her when all of her sons returned home, even though five of them came back with severe disabilities. Her great-granddaughter recounts a poignant memory: “Pavel was the last to return. He knocked on the window while Grandma’s house was filled with military lodgers. She waved him away, thinking there was no room for another soldier. But then she looked closely and burst into tears. The war had separated the brothers for nearly seven years; they were worn, tired, and some were even unrecognizable to each other.” Upon their return to Brovakhy, a wave of weddings soon followed. Mikhail, Stepan, and Alexander each tied the knot, bringing laughter and tears to the large family gatherings. Evdokia Danilovna became the matriarch of a sizable family, boasting 36 grandchildren and over 70 great-grandchildren. Her fascinating story soon spread beyond the village. In 1946, she was awarded the order of the Hero Mother in Kiev. Her granddaughter recalls the moment: “My grandmother often remembered being led into a large hall, where she received the Golden Star of the Heroine Mother in front of a crowd. She was so overwhelmed that she could barely speak—she simply cried and wiped her tears with a scarf. She was awarded this title for her ten sons, though the district officials overlooked her five daughters for some reason.” Evdokia Danilovna passed away in 1967, just one month shy of her 74th birthday. In 1984, her legacy was commemorated with a bronze statue in Brovakhy, attended by all her sons except Vasiliy, who sadly did not live to witness this momentous occasion. (Photo credit: RT / Dzen / Upscaled by RHP / Text and research by RHP). Notify me of new posts by email.
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