Murder Story of Pochinok Jews at the Pochinok Russian Orthodox Cemetery

Those were warm days. I remember there was green grass all around. A long ditch had been dug behind the Russian cemetery. I did not know who had dug it. We… arrived when the ditch was ready. I was standing not far from the edge, to the side, and saw everything. Several Germans, idle policemen and a few locals, were standing nearby. It was very frightening. The first group of Jews, of around 20 people not including the children, who also numbered at least 20, was brought from the church in Luchesa village [where they had been held]. Among them I recognized two Jewish families from Urubok village, located 15 kilometers from the village of Lyady. The Jews were made to stand at the edge of the ditch. There women, old people, men, and children were taking their farewells from life. The police were about 15 in number and the Germans were about 5. The police had submachine-guns and the Germans had pistols. Only the police were involved in the shooting. They were Ukrainian, judging by their accent; some of them were local people. The adults were shot with submachine-gun volleys and fell into the pit. The children remained standing nearby. The police grabbed them by their arms, while they were crying and screaming, and threw them into the pit alive. Apparently they [the policemen] wanted to save bullets. About five minutes later, after the first group of Jews had been killed and no one was left at the edge [of the ditch], another group of Jews was brought from the Pochinok machine-and-tractor station, where they had been held. They were about 50 or more adults, and an unknown number of children… The adults were shot while the children were thrown into the pit alive. A doctor named Konna, who was known everywhere in the county, was the last one to be shot. The police chief … supervised the shooting. He had orders from the Germans. The policemen and local residents who had been forced to come there covered the ditch. Afterward the ground was leveled. People said that the earth heaved and seemed to breathe for several days.