Archive/File: places/ukraine/chortkiv/commission-report.440621-28
Last-Modified: 1998/07/17

                   "`ACT' ARCHIVE DOCUMENT
                              
                                      Date: June 21-28, 1944
                                                            
Report of Soviet Special State Commission conducting
investigation of crimes committed by the German Fascists on
the territory of the city Chortkiv and Region, Western
Ukraine, Ukr. SSR.

The Commission consists of the following persons: W. H.
Druginina; S. I. Turkevich, H. 1. Brytskoho, H. I.
Cheverda, A. P. Prokopova, V. A. Krupko, T. S. Litvineriko,
K. A. Kozacheriko, P. E. Chermlsonova, Mateush Shuster,
Stanislava Ivanovna, Lutsyk Petro I_ I. B. Shorr, M.M.
Goldberg, J. U. Bolansky, K. M. Alsenberg, S. T. Kuzmlna,
P. J. Chervivsky, M. G. Chursanov.

The exhumation of the victims of German Fascism in the city
of Chortkiv and Region, Ukr. SSR., started June 21, 1944,
and lasted till July 28, 1944. The city Chortkiv was
occupied by the Nazis in July 194 1, and liberated by the
Red Army in March 28, 1944.

The Special Commission established the following: Mass
"Actions" and shooting of Jews, Poles, Ukrainians,
teachers, doctors, lawyers, intelligentsia,
party-activists, old people and children, took place during
the Nazi occupation. Life started to get intolerable.

The extermination of the Jews were called "Actions," which
ended in mass shooting of the victims. There were three
mass "Actions" in Chortkiv. The first "Action" took place
in 1941.

The Nazis ordered the creation of the Jewish Ghetto, in
which around 8,000 Jews were forced to reside. The
conditions inside the Ghetto were terrible. The Jews were
forced to wear the Star of David. Many were taken out for
hard physical labor outside. It was forbidden to leave the
Ghetto or bring in food, under the threat of death. The
victims received a little watery soup with a piece of
surrogate bread. Many died of starvation and diseases

The second anti-Jewish "Action" took place in the year
1943. As a result of this mass massacre, not many Jews were
left in the city. Some tried to hide in underground bunkers
or in the forest.

Around 115 Jews were working on a farm-estate. One day they
were surrounded by a group ofGermans and Ukrainian
(Nationalist) policemen. A real bestial pogrom was
underway. Some were shot in the field, others were
massacred with shovels, iron bars, sticks, etc. Many others
were caught in the street, in the houses of the village.
The dead and injured were loaded on horse-wagons and thrown
into an empty water well.

Groups of 50 or 100 Jews were taken out of the Ghetto,
(allegedly for work), outside the city where they were
shot. Some individuals managed to escape from such
"Actions." Among them were: Rosa Shnermlib, born in 1925,
BernknopfJosef, born in 1923, Berkovich Zoya and a few
others. The German Fascist beasts threw the dead, injured
and children, alive, intthe pits and buried them together.
According to eyewitness accounts in the city of Chortkiv,
German Nazis, and Ukrainian Nationalists, threw Jewish
children down from balconies (third and fourth floors) into
the streets. The dead and injured victims were later thrown
into the River Scret. Those few who remained alive were
hiding in underground bunkers, in the forest, with
Gentiles, or with false papers.

Mass executions ofjews, Poles, Soviet Activists, etc., took
place in the prison courtyard, on the former airfield, on
the old and new Jewish Cemeteries, in the Black Forest, in
the Villages: Yagolnitsa, Swydova, Mylowe, Marelovka,
Sosulivka, Rossoxan, in the Galileya Forest, and other
places.

The special Investigative Commission ordered the opening of
the pits and excavation of the bodies. The following was
established:

1. 16 Pits (different sizes) were found on the former
airfield, located Westward of the City Chortkiv, near a
highway leading to the City Chernovtsi, Ukr. SSR.

Pit No. 1 was 3 x 2 x 1.5 meters. It contained 27 bodies.
Most were naked, shot in the back of the head. Pit No. 2, 4
x 3 Meters, contained 22 bodies, in a decomposing stage, men
and women. Many had their hands tied with telephone cable.
Most of the victims were shot in the head. Pit No. 3, 5 x 7
x 2.5 Meters. Most of the -victims wore old, torn clothing,
men and women -around 40 bodies, skulls smashed, hands tied
in the back. Pit No. 4, 25 bodies. Some wore military-like
uniforms. Hands tied in the back.

Pit No. 5, 29 bodies, Size 6 x 5 x 1.7 Meters. Pit No. 6, 4
x 5 x 1.5 Meters. Women-19, men-2, children-4. All naked.
Decomposing bodies. Pit No. 7, 4 x 3 x 1.75 Meters, 15
bodies, naked, shot in back of the head. Pit No. 8, 5 x 7 x
1.75 Meters, men 9, women 19, children 8, total 36 bodies,
shot in back of the head. Pit No. 9, 10 bodies. Pits No. 10,
11, 12, approximately as above. Pits: 13, 14, 15, 16 -- not
opened.

OLD JEWISH CEMETERY, Westward City Chortkiv: Total, 5pits.
Around 45 bodies. Shot in back of the head.

NEW JEWISH CEMETERY, Location  -- Eastward City Chortkiv.
Pits: 3. Bodies-450. Victims: Men, women and children. All
shot.

Location: Prison courtyard. Bodies -- Men. Many with
documents, names, Passport numbers. Also some women. Names:
Wasserman Sofia, Broncle Israel, Schecter Meyer, Shoter
Mojsej, Wolyster David, Wolf Yakubovich, Abram Broder,
Berkenfeld Herman, Elner, and others, all shot.

Location: Black Forest, Eastward, City Chortkiv. Two pits.
Total bodies: 140 men and women. Shot with machine guns.
Smashed skulls. Thrown in Water Well.

Location: Village Miliontse, Chortkiv Region. Well-hole
depth: 8 M. Victims working on farm. All Jews. Men and
women. Bodies - 123.

Village Yagolnitsa. Two large pits. Total bodies 950. Most
shot in the head. Men, women and children.

Village Swyclova, Chortkiv Region. Two pits were found,
sizes: 10 x 4 x 2 Meters, and 3.5 x 1.5 x 2 Meters. They
contained 18 bodies, men and women, in decomposition stage.
Some completely naked, some others in underwear. According
to eyewitness accounts, around 350-400 people were buried in
this area.

Village Marelovka. Chortkiv Region, Ukr. SSR: Two pits were
found, sizes 2 x 2.5 meters. Most were shot. Some victim's
heads were smashed. A total of 55 bodies were counted.

Village Ulashkovtse, on Farm Estate. One pit, size 15 x 15
x 1, bodies of men and women, some were shot, some others
were butchered with knives and other instruments. 17 bod
es exhumed. According to eyewitness accounts, around 185
people lie buried in this area.

Forest Galileya: In the dense part of the forest, in a
bunker-like hideout, size 5 x 2 x 2 meters, 15 bodies were
found, all women. All naked, scattered in different
positions. All in decomposition stage. All were shot in
back of the head, most with damaged skulls. As it looked,
the underground bunker served as a hideout for the
victims.

The Commission concluded that in the above mentioned
places (and also other pits, not excavated yet), more than
13,000 bodies of innocent citizens of the City of
Chortkiv, and Chortkiv Region, were found.

The Special Investigation Commission considers the
following persons guilty of committing crimes:

1. Hildeman   Captain, Chief
              Gestapo
2. Pekman     Captain, Chief
              Gestapo
3. Stefan     Chief Prison
4. Maierhofer Chief Prison
5. Rozenhof   Chief Prison
(?)
6. Paal       Commander, Jewish
              Camp
7. Tumanek    Commander, Jewish
              Camp

Gestapo Men:

1. Kelner, 2. Richter, Lt., 3. Frank, 4. Keltswich, 5.
Breitschneider, 6. Hagerman, 7. Rimpler, 8. Ruks, 9.
Radke, 10. Kuchman, 11. Tsich, 12. Meier, 13. Basso, 14.
Eisel, 15. Martin, 16. Miller, 17. Felde, 18. Kimperg, 19.
Keller, 20. Lutsel, 21. Knispel, 22. Kaminsky, 23. Ferus,
24. Grocholsky, 25. Shudert, 26. Hubert, 27. Otto, 28.
Gross, 29. Urban, 30. Frynd.

Traitors of the Fatherland. (Ukrainian Nationalists):

1. Mula Ivan, 2. Mulyk, 3. Roshko, 4. Mykechans, 5.
Hushulak, 6. Starovsky, 7. Skab, 8. Skorevych, 9. Ivasiv,
10. Moroz, 11. Podlubny, 12. Gnatkivsky, 13. Slobodyan,
14. Leschinsky, 15. Kachmanyuk, 16. Krchak, 17.
Melnychenko, 18. Tyll.

     Commission Members:
          Doctors: Shorr, Goldberg (signatures)
          Citizens, City Chortkiv: Wolanski, Eisenberg.
          Military: MajorJustice Dept. (signature)
          Lt. M/S (illegible) (signature)
          Priest, Roman Catholic Church (signature)
          Priest, Greek Catholic Church (signature)
W. Druzhynin, Turevich, Brytski, Cheverda, Prokopov,
Krupko,
Litvynenko, Evstygnewa, Kozachenko, Cheremysinov, Shuter,
Lutsyk.

Head of' Extraordinary State Commission:
     Investigating Fascist crimes: Kuzhmin
     Medical Expert, Major M/S: Chervinsky
     Medical Expert, Major M/S: Chursanov
     (stamp signatures)
     
Courtesy: Soviet State Archives. Ukr. SSR." (Sabrin, pp. 264-8)

                         Work Cited
                              
Sabrin, B.F., Ed. Alliance for Murder: The Nazi-Ukrainian
Nationalist Partnership in Genocide. New York: Sarpedon,
1991

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