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Murder Story of Rechitsa Jews in the Ice Cellar in Ozershchina
Murder Site
Ozershchina Area
Belorussia (USSR)
In November - December 1941 or, according to other sources, two months later, the Jews of Rechitsa were shot to death in the ice cellar of a military camp located two kilometers from Rechitsa, near Ozershchina village. According to witness testimonies, in November 1941 about 40 people, including both Jews and partisans, were shot in the ice cellar, while in December around 80 Jews from Rechitsa were shot and buried at the same murder site.
untoldStories.relatedResources
Resources.tabstitle.chgk Soviet Reports
Yelizaveta Bobchenok, who was born in 1878 and lived in Rechitsa during the war years, testified:
In the same month and year [November 1941], with my own eyes I saw a German truck arrive at the prison on Sovetskaya Street … and the Germans load Jews who had been arrested onto the truck. After about 40 people - Jews, partisans, and other civilians, whom I did not know, were loaded [onto trucks] they were driven to an ice cellar at the military camp not far from Ozershchina village. On another day in December 1941 I also personally saw a German truck come to the prison twice: Jews were loaded onto it and taken to the same place – i.e., the ice cellar at the military camp not far from Ozershchina village. In these two trips the Germans took about 80 people (I do not know their last names) to be shot.
GARF, MOSCOW R-7021-85-217 copy YVA M.33 / JM/20006
Ozershchina Area
Murder Site
Belorussia (USSR)
52.365;30.394