Murder story of Dzerzhinsk Jews in the Public Garden in the Dzerzhinsk Area

… On the morning of October 25, 1941 they took the mothers away in a separate column, then they took the children. I walked behind Lyusik, the two girls were holding Lyusik’s hands. They stopped the children four meters from the pit. Perhaps they didn’t want to waste bullets or, maybe, just for fun, two policemen from each side of the pit approached the children, bayoneted them in the stomach, and then threw them alive into the pit. The cries and weeping made a terrible noise that was heard throughout the forest. Moving closer, Lyusik turned to me and asked: “Should we jump into the pit ourselves so that we don’t feel the pain?” Just then, seeing Lyusik with the girls, a policeman shouted: “Leave the bitches!”, but Lyusik didn’t let go of the girls’ hands. That kept the policeman busy for a bit longer. I took advantage of that moment and jumped into the pit. First I rose to my knees at the side of the pit, then I straightened up. The pit was full and they covered it over lightly with dirt. It heaved from the movements of those children who were still alive. When the day became dark, I crawled out….

… People were forced into groups. Some were killed when they tried to escape. All this turned into a continuous nightmare. It was already night when they rounded up a group of adults and children that consisted not only of Jews but also included Russians, Ukrainians, Communist Party members, and Komsomol members. Under reinforced guard they were taken to a killing site, which had been a gentry estate and, then, a hospital. Everyone was ordered to strip near a large pit. I was left in my shirt and underpants. Today I don’t believe that I was acting consciously. I wasn’t thinking. I just did what everyone else was doing. I don’t even remember any orders. There were boards laid over the pit. Everybody else walked out on them so I did too. Automatic weapons and machine-guns roared – that’s the last thing I remember. I don’t remember how I fell into the pit. Evidently everyone else fell and so did I. I recovered consciousness but didn’t immediately understand what had happened. It was dark and I felt oppressed by a heavy weight. Feeling that I was whole and unharmed, I tried to pull myself out from under the dead bodies. It was difficult and very frightening. Somewhere in the distance dogs were barking. I quickly freed myself and ran to hide in the reeds of a swampy pond. Once again there is a gap in my memory. I came to and immersed myself in the muddy water up to my chest, but then I lost consciousness again. ... later, when some good people saved me, I had been hiding in the swamp for three days and nights….