(Ostap Rechmedin)

b. 1877 in Novoselytsa, Kozhanka district, Kiev gubernia. (father / mother)
d. 1948, December 22 in Andrushivka, Vinnytsia oblast.

Ostap liked to mention that he was born the same year as one of the greatest battles of the Russo-Turkish Liberation War (1877–1878) took place at Shipka Pass.

Like his younger brother Viktor he first studied at the Clerical school (district bursa) in Skvyra and later at the teacher's seminary in Kyiv. However another source says that Ostap was good at school so he got a recommendation from his school teacher to continue his studies at the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Vilno (present Vilnius, Lithuania). He however couldn't pursue the career of a priest because of his peasant background so he entered Teaching Institute in the same city by recommendation of his teacher.

After finishing the institute he became a village teacher in Andrushivka in present Vinnytsia oblast around 1905. He first started to teach in the old church school, but in the early 1910s a new school was built and it's still used today. It is said that count Michal Tyszkiewicz, to whom the village belonged, sponsored the project of building the school on condition that teaching there should be in the Ukrainian language and not in Russian.

Except for teaching at school Ostap used his theological background and became the head of the church choir in Andrushivka. It was on one of the choir lessons he met his future wife, Kylyna Pypa. They were married in 1907. A wedding dress for the bride was ordered from St Petersburg.

Ostap and Kylyna together with their sons Petro and Leonid.

Ostap had his own garden and he liked to work in it very much. He had lots of different kinds of trees there including one unique cherry tree which gave cherries in October. He also could play the violin.

It was common with corporal punishment in the schools before 1917. After the revolution the punishment was forbidden but once Ostap forgot about it and beated one of the pupils with teacher's line. He was sentenced to correction labour for several months. However many parents of Ostap's pupils asked him to be more severe with their children up to using corporal punishment.

In general we can say that his career was a successfull one, and he was a respected person in the village. When he died many people came to his funeral.

After finishing his teacher's career Ostap seems to have missed his job so he tought his grandson Anatolij (who stayed at his grandparents after his father's death) instead.

Ostap together with his sons Leonid and Petro.

Children:

Olha. She died shortly after the birth.

Petro, b. 1908, June 1, d. 1947, May 19.

Leonid, b. 1912, d. 1981.

Valentyn, b. 1916, February 12, d. 1986, June 6.

Ivan, b. 1922, d. 1988.

Ostap's sons: Leonid, Valentyn and Petro.

Ostap's grave in the Andrushivka village cemetery.

The Family Tree