Murder story of Yessentuki Jews in the Glass Factory near Mineralnyye Vody (Gas Vans)

On September 7, 1942, the German command and the Jewish council announced that the Jews had to prepare for relocation to a less populated area. They were to bring their belongings, 20-32 kg of luggage per person, and it was vitally important that they bring their valuables, as well as three days' supply of food. Following this announcement by the German command and the Jewish council, some of the Jews realized that the "relocation" was only a ruse meant to cover the imminent massacre, and they committed suicide to avoid being murdered by the Germans and their collaborators. Others – especially those who were married to non-Jews – were able to hide or conceal their identity, thereby evading the German murder squads. The rest of the Jewish population, locals and evacuees alike, gathered at the October 25 School at 6 AM on September 9, 1942. They numbered about 1,500-2,000. The school was cordoned off by the German military, and local policemen guarded the Jewish people inside the building. According to several eyewitnesses, the Jews were beaten inside the school, and their cries could be heard in the surrounding area. At 6 AM in the next morning, German vehicles arrived at the school. The Jews were forced into the trucks and taken to the town of Mineralnyye Vody. The doomed Jews were followed by local policemen. The vehicles stopped at the glass factory in Mineralnyye Vody, where an anti-tank trench had been dug. The Jews were then herded into a bus that had been converted into a gas van. Some of the victims tried to flee, and were shot dead by the German mobile killing squads and local policemen. The others were gassed to death, and their bodies were thrown into the trench. Afterward, the anti-tank trench was filled with soil, and several German military vehicles drove over it flatten the murder site and cover the traces of this Nazi crime.