Murder Story of Dzerzhinsk Jews on the Dzerzhinsk-Stankovo Railway Line

In March 1942 1,300 Jews, apparently brought from Minsk, were murdered about two kilometers from the Dzerzhinsk railway station, west of Stankovo, 50 meters to the left of the tracks, not far from Ryabinovka village. Brunno Mittmann, head of the local police station, supervised the operation. The victims were taken to the site in railway cars, carts, and trucks. There were ten pits, already prepared by prisoners of war. The victims were forced to undress, taken up to the pits, and shot to death. The murders were carried out by Finns, Lithuanians, Germans, and members of the local police. After the murder the victims’ clothes were collected and put into a storehouse. Numerous murders took place at the site from the fall of 1941 until the spring of 1942. It is impossible to determine the exact number of Jews killed since, after the first group was shot, acid was poured over the bodies -- both to destroy them and to create more room for the next group of victims. According to reports of the Extraordinary State Commission, the pits had enough room for [only] 10,541 bodies. However, local testimonies state that between 13,000 and 15,000 people from the area, including many Jews, were murdered there. The witnesses mention the same number of victims for the town of Ryzhovka, close to Dzerzhinsk. However, this may [be an error and] refer to the same town [i.e., Dzerzhinsk].