The story
During the German occupation of this Ukrainian town in 1943, the troops discovered a number of mass graves containing in all some 9,432 bodies. All had been shot with two .22 bullets in the back of the head during the great Stalin Purges between 1937 and 1938.
Most were identified as Ukranians but 28 were ethnic Poles. The victims were killed by the Soviet secret police the NKVD.
A monument was erected stating "Victims of Stalinist Terror" but later the Russians changed the wording to "Victims of Nazi Terror" before removing it completely and creating a pleasure park in its place. Years later a new monument was built referring only "To the Victims of Totalitarianism".
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.