Murder Story of Shamovo Jews at the Shamovo Jewish Cemetery

... It was toward evening on February 1 [February 2, 1942]. My sister and I kissed each other and said good-bye – we knew that we were going to our deaths. I had one son, Valery, who was nine months old. I wanted to leave him home in the hope that someone would take him in and raise him, but my sister said: "Don't do it. He'll die all the same. At least he can die with you." I wrapped him in a blanket, and he was warm. My sister was the first to be taken away. We heard screams and shooting. Then everything was silent. We were in the second group led to the cemetery. The children were lifted by their hair or by the collar – like kittens – and were shot in the head. The entire cemetery was screaming. My boy was torn from my arms. He fell into the snow. It was painful and he was cold; he cried. Then I fell from a blow. There was shooting. I heard groans, curses, shots, and I understood that they were striking every body to check that the person was dead. I received two strong blows, but I remained silent. They began to take the things from the murdered people. I was wearing a shabby skirt; they tore it off. Krause called for a policeman and said something to him. They went away. I reached for Valery. He was completely cold. I kissed him and said good-bye. Some people were still groaning and wheezing, but what could I do? I left....

They made the Jews line up in rows, then started them off. They were carrying only small bundles and sacks. Our home had burned down and our family was quartered in the intact half of the post-office building, in two tiny rooms. Opposite was the selsovet [the rural council office]. I remember how Jews came up to Mamma and told her that they were being sent off somewhere. The police forced them into the selsovet and, then, we heard a great outcry since they, apparently, understood that they were being taken to be killed. They were all taken to the cemetery, forced into a pit and buried there. Then our Russian people ran to the cemetery and stripped them of their rags and carried off their bundles. There were Germans there in gray or green uniforms. A woman teacher survived. She climbed out of the pit, her fingers were frost-bitten, some one hid her. Then she was taken to the village of Temnyi Les and people hid her there. Another Jew was also hidden there.