Elena Rybalko, the oldest known living person in Ukraine, passed away in Lviv on 9 October, at the age of 109 years, 129 days.
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.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Elena Rybalko during this difficult time.
