Elena Rybalko, Ukraine’s Oldest Known Resident, Turns 109

Elena Rybalko, the oldest known resident of Ukraine, celebrated her 109th birthday in Lviv on 2 June.

Elena Kirillovna Rybalko (Ukrainian: Елена Кирилловна Рыбалко) was born in Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine (then Russian Empire) on 2 June 1917. She survived the Holodomor of 1932–1933 and, following World War II, relocated to the Lviv region.

Elena devoted nearly her entire life to medicine, continuing her work until the age of 89. Her patients included some of Ukraine’s most distinguished cultural, academic, and religious figures, among them Dmytro Pavlychko, and Ivan Krypiakevych. She also provided care to wounded insurgents, offering them vital support during some of the most challenging periods of their lives.

On 16 January 2026, following the passing of 109-year-old Kateryna Kots, she became the oldest known living person in Ukraine.

The oldest resident of the Lviv community, Olena Rybalko, celebrated her 109th birthday. The woman survived the Holodomor, was a UPA liaison, and also treated the wounded.
As reported by the press service of the Lviv City Council, Olena Rybalko was born in 1917 in Vinnytsia region. There she received a medical education. The woman survived the Holodomor of 1932-1933. And in 1944 she moved to Lviv region.

"Ms. Olena devoted almost her entire life to medicine, retiring at the age of 89. Among her patients were famous figures of Ukrainian culture, science, and the church - Dmytro Pavlychko, Ivan Krypiakevych, Yosyf Kladochny, as well as wounded insurgents, whom she helped in difficult times," the report says.

An employee of the Lviv City Hall's Social Protection Department presented her with UAH 10,000 in material assistance and flowers from the city.

Illya Brovdiy, Ukraine’s Oldest Known Man, Dies at 107

Illya Brovdiy, the oldest known living man in Ukraine, passed away in Kolchyno (Zakarpattia Oblast) on 18 January, at the age of 107 years, 127 days.

Illya Illich Brovdiy (Ukrainian: Ілля Ілліч Бровдій) was born in the village of Stanovo (Станово) within the Mukachevo Raion, part of Zakarpattia Oblast, on 13 September 1918. He completed the eighth grade at a public school in his hometown and later received his secondary education at the evening school in the village of Kolchyno. He worked as a crane operator at the Mukachevo railway station, and in 1966 became a designer at a machine-tool factory.

He began painting in 1965, and his first solo exhibition was held in 1977. As a representative of naïve art, he took part in district, regional, and republican exhibitions. Over the course of his life, he traveled to 20 countries as an artist and organized hundreds of exhibitions.

Kateryna Kots, the oldest known resident of Ukraine, passed away just two days earlier.

One of the latter two (probably the second-oldest man), is painter Ilya Brovdy (b. 13 September 1918) of Kolchino (source). He is now the oldest person in Zakarpattia Oblast (source), ....

Ilya Brovdy on his 107th birthday in September 2025.

....

Kateryna Kots, Ukraine’s Oldest Resident, Dies at 109

Kateryna Kots, the oldest known living person in Ukraine, passed away in Staryi Chortoryisk, Volyn Oblast, on 16 January, at the age of 109 years, 105 days.

Kateryna Karpivna Kots (Катерина Карпівна Коць) was born in Staryi Chortoryisk on 3 October 1916. She came from a family of long-lived individuals: her mother lived to the age of 102, and her sister to over 90. When she was only a year old, her father passed away, leaving her mother to raise three children on her own. She had two older siblings. She never received formal education, but from a young age she worked on a collective farm, tending fields and caring for geese and ducks. It was in her native village that she met her future husband, Yefim, who was several years older than she was.

Life was not easy for them. In 1944, German soldiers entered their village and burned down their home. With her infant daughter in her arms, she fled into the forest to escape the danger. Later, she and Yefim rebuilt their house from scratch. In 1946, they welcomed their second daughter, Taisia. Years later, at the age of 42, she became a mother for the third time.

According to official data from the Pension Fund of Ukraine, Kateryna was the oldest living person in Ukraine.

She was born on 3 October 1916.

She was the oldest living person in Ukraine.

https://www.volynnews.com/news/all/u-vitsi-109-rokiv-pomerla-volynianka-iaka-bula-naystarishoiu-zhytelkoiu-ukrayiny/

Rest in peace.

meaning the region's (and Ukraine's) previous oldest (unidentified) man (b. 3 November 1917) of Irshava passed away in the past year.

Tomi, do you have any idea which month or between which months he would have passed away? His name was Mykhaylo, I remember seeing news about him, I even posted about him here, but unfortunately I didn't have his last name to be able to know more about him.

He must have died between October 2024 and October 2025, right?

I think that other mentioned 107-year-old-man is Grigory Pavlovich Verlanov (b. 14 Apr 1918), of Donetsk Oblast:

Grigory Pavlovich Verlanov died around August 23.
He was the oldest known man in Ukraine at the time of his death, and would have been the 52nd oldest European man if he had died today.

Em memória de um veterano... | Conteúdo interessante na Administração do grupo do Distrito Municipal de Shakhtersky em OK (Odnoklassniki)

Of course, the birthdates of those born in the Russian Empire might have to be slightly altered due to the Julian–Gregorian change (Brovdy was born in Austria-Hungary though).