Murder story of Kharkov Jews in the Kholodnogorskiy Coniferous Forest

…The members of the Commission… visited the area of Pirogov and Novosyelovskaya Streets at the Kholodnaya Hill, and the following has been determined. There is a large ravine in this area of the city. There, according to the statements of the local residents Matryona Matveevna Timchenko and Vasiliy Grigoryevich Khramtsov, the Germans shot as many as 30-50 Soviet citizens. The abovementioned citizens have testified that the victims would be shot in groups of 1-2….

…The Kholodnaya Gora coniferous forest [on] the outskirts of the October neighborhood was selected by the Fascist monsters as the site of the mass annihilation of innocent civilians. In 1941 and early 1942, as many as eighty peaceful residents were shot in this coniferous forest. Here follow the testimonies of the eyewitnesses M.M. Tishchenko and V.G. Khramtsov, who live in the October neighborhood, on Pirogov Street, which runs parallel to the ravine of the coniferous forest. V.G. Khramtsov testified that, in the fall of 1941, the Germans would convoy groups of 1-2 and 3-4 individuals past his house on a daily basis. The groups would go down into the ravine, and a little later he would hear the cries of the citizens, followed by the sounds of gunfire, coming out of the ravine. While he does not remember exactly how many people were shot there, he can deduce from what he saw during the day that there were at least thirty victims. Sometimes, the shootings would be carried out at night. In some cases, the victims of the Fascist monsters carried spades, and [the killers] would force them to dig their own graves.

…In the fall of 1941, the Germans transformed these ravines [sic] into sites for the execution and burial of innocent civilians. In early fall 1941, [the victims] were brought there, by foot or by vehicle, in groups of 1-3. They would walk past my yard and descend into the ravine; a little later, I would hear the sounds of gunfire. I do not know exactly how many people were shot there, but, based on what I saw, I would estimate that they shot at least thirty people. This is what happened during the daytime, but similar [shootings] took place at night, as well. In many cases, the Fascist monsters would force their victims to carry spades and order them to dig their own graves....

During the occupation of the city of Kharkov, from my home I witnessed several brutal shootings of our civilians by the German-Fascist authorities. In the fall of 1941, innocent civilians were shot by the German-Fascist authorities in the ravines [sic] running parallel to our street. Usually at 2-3 PM, they would begin to bring in groups of 2-3 individuals, both men and women, young people for the most part. [The Germans] would force them to dig their own graves, shoot them…, and throw [the bodies into the graves]…. The shootings would usually be carried out by soldiers in German uniforms….