Biography

Valentyna Stepanivna Hryniak was born on July 12, 1938, in the village of Karnachivka, Ternopil region. She lived through the difficult years of wartime childhood and later devoted her life to education and culture.

For many years she worked as a teacher in Ternopil, and afterward became head of the library at the Center for Children’s and Youth Creativity, where she inspired generations of young people with her love of learning and literature.

Valentyna was known as a bright, original, and creative personality. She enjoyed dressing elegantly, never leaving home without makeup, and always found common ground with others. In her later years, she lived alone in a sixth-floor apartment in Ternopil, where her closest companion was her beloved cat. She cared for him as if he were her child, often waking at night to feed him and worrying about what would happen to him if she were gone.

On November 19, 2025, everything changed in a tragic moment. At dawn, Russian forces attacked Ternopil with drones and ballistic missiles. A rocket hit Valentyna’s apartment directly, destroying it completely. Rescue workers were unable to recover her remains, and her death had to be legally confirmed in court. Her cat perished with her.

Valentyna Hryniak was a widow and had no children of her own, but she remained close to her extended family. She is survived by two nephews, three grandnieces and grandnephews, and other relatives. Among them is her granddaughter-in-spirit, the Ukrainian singer Alyona Savranenko (alyona alyona), who affectionately called her “Grandmother Tina.”

Valentyna had prepared a place for herself beside her late husband at the cemetery, but her relatives were left with nothing to bury.

Her memory endures as that of a strong, creative, and caring woman whose life was taken by war. She remains forever in the hearts of her loved ones and everyone who knew her, a symbol of resilience and dignity.