Kiev - A 75-year-old man from the Khmelnitsky region of western Ukraine emerged from his attic last week after hiding there for 57 years to escape Nazi and Soviet troops, the newspaper Dien reported. Mr Stepan Kovaltchuk hid in his attic in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of Ukraine to avoid being sent to Germany as forced labour. After the victory of Soviet troops, he kept hiding by fear of being drafted in the Red Army.
Mr Kovaltchuk emerged distraught into the streets of his village of Montchintsi on September 18th, 10 days after his sister's death. He is reported to be in good health.