"Take my girl" - Jewish woman tried to save her daughter as they were led for execution

29 июня 2022
The Jewish women understood that something was likely to happen and tried to give her children to the locals so that they had chance, says local historian Alexander Pavliukovich. "Take my girl," the woman said and tried to push her away from the column. But the policemen, who were guarding this column, tore her out and threw her back into this column. They did not let her save the girl".

From the interrogation file of witness Maria Khaimovna Alperina:

“The entire Jewish population of Logoisk was gathered near the building of the former district military registration and enlistment office, including me and my husband Nikolay Borisovich Alperin and my three children and taken  to the building. About a thousand people of the Jewish population were gathered at the building of the district military registration and enlistment office. At the building we all had our passports taken away.  

After that the Jews were taken to the tract of Ivanovschina, to the place of extermination.

The people were divided into groups. The first group consisted of women with babies and adolescents, the second group consisted of middle-aged women and older, the third group consisted of men and people who could not walk alone, sick and old people. They were brought up in wagons.” 

On the way, some people did try to escape. More often the attempts ended unsuccessfully. People were immediately shot. Some managed to buy their way out. The policemen let them go for a few pieces of gold.

When people were led to the tract, German soldiers were already there. The area was cordoned off. The guards consisted of policemen. There were several rows of cordons. They had an order not to let anyone near. 

Yuri Zverev, historian of special services, candidate of historical sciences: 

“They were led to the edge of the quarry, ordered to strip down to their underwear and forcibly brought down, ordering them to lie face down. It follows from the testimonies that the Nazis carried out the execution. They shot them all in the back. Of course, people who were nearby saw everything. There was an incredible scream of children, women, and elders.After the war, when criminal cases were filed against the former policemen of the Logoisk District, practically everyone during interrogations said the same thing - they were just standing in the cordon, the Jews were being shot by the Germans.”