Murder Story of Surazh Jews in Kislovka

On the morning of March 27 all the Jews were ordered to dress as if they were going to be relocated to Klintsy. First they were divided into columns. Oktyabrskaya Street was completely surrounded by policemen and soldiers with guard dogs. Before midday the column of women left, in the afternoon the column of men. They did not suspect that they were going to be shot. They were taken toward Klintsy. As soon as they had covered 1.5 kilometers, they turned towards Kislovka village. The shooting was carried out by the Germans. Of the two thousand Jews who had lived in Surazh 560 were shot to death.

I was told that an old doctor, Elena Ivanovna Gneusheva, who had something to tell me, was still living in Surazh and was looking forward to seeing me. So we met. …This is her story:…"On March 13, 1942, everyone who was in the ghetto was taken out to the street. They were all forced to take off their shoes. The people ran through the snow toward the forest with the guards shouting [at them]….The doomed ones went in silence. Nobody cried. Sometimes words of final parting were heard. Mothers were carrying their children in their arms, holding them tightly to their breast for the last time…. Near the forest of Kislovka village a long pit had been prepared. 20-30 people were brought close to it and then shot. The murdered ones and those still alive fell down; the wounded were pushed into the pit. When everything was finished, moans were heard from the pit. The moans were muffled by the earth that covered [the bodies]. The pit, which was full of blood heaved. Later people said that this lasted a long time."