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Tetyana “Khreshchena” Teplyuk (widely known by her call sign ”Khreshchena”, meaning "Godmother") is a remarkable Ukrainian battlefield medic and veteran military nurse. Born in Vasylkiv, Kyiv region, she spent 42 years working as an operating-room nurse in a maternity hospital in Kyiv. In her late twenties, she signed a contract with the Soviet armed forces and served in Afghanistan for over a year and a half, treating wounded soldiers. Later, during the Revolution of Dignity (Euromaidan), she volunteered to provide medical aid to protesters. In spring 2015, at the age of 62, she joined the Azov Regiment's medical service—a step made possible by her godson, who invited her to help organize medical care in the garrison. She embraced the role with immense dedication, earning the affectionate nickname “Khreshchena.” She served in Mariupol for seven years, providing care, baking bread, sharing supplies, and offering comfort to fighters amid losses and extreme conditions. When the full-scale invasion began in 2022, Khreshchena remained in Mariupol with the Azov defenders, eventually becoming trapped in the defense of Azovstal. She continued her medical work under terrible conditions, managing rations, improvising meals, and operating in underground shelters amid relentless bombardment. In May 2022, following orders, she exited Azovstal and was captured by Russian forces. She endured eight months in captivity—first held in Olenivka, then transferred to a prison in Taganrog, russia—experiencing harsh psychological pressure, humiliation over her age, and punitive exercise routines disguised as discipline. On December 31, 2022, Tetyana Teplyuk was freed in a prisoner exchange, returning home shortly before the New Year. Upon her return, she was physically weakened but remained fiercely resilient—returning to serve in Azov’s medical service and regularly participating in support actions for freed POWs.
