Historical and architectural information

This plot is located in the Babyn Yar ravine in Shevcenko district in Kyiv. On the western side it is limited by Dorohozhytska Street, on the north – by O. Teliga Street to till the house number 39, opposite to which there is a monument to the victims of Kurenevska tragedy, and then – by ravine. On the east side of the ravine the plot ends at the vault of Kaczynskies family, and the southern side extends from of the vault along the asphalted alley to the duilding of Shevchenko district office of “Kyivvzelenbud”, and further limited by already occupied and built-up areas and part of the Oranzhereyna Street. In addition, the plot is crossed by Melnikov Street, where on the corner with O. Teliga Street there’s underground station “Dorogozhychy” which is not included in the boundaries of the area.

The area is wedged by the Alley (“Way of Sorrow”), which extends from the building of the former Jewish cemetery berau (Melnikov Street, 44) to the monument of “minorah”.

This Preserve was created according to the directive of the President of Ukraine of September 23 2005 № 1172 “Concerning the measures of implementation of the state policy on ethnic relations, religion and the church” (doc. number 1), resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 01.03.2007 № 308 “Concerning the the National Historical Memorial Preserve «Babyn Yar» (doc. number 2).

Paragraph 2 of this resolution provides approval of the limits and area of the preserve and transfer the complex of monuments in the Babyn Yar ravine into the state ownership.

Question of creation of the preserve in the Babyn Yar raised repeatedly over time. Specifically, according to the initiative of the President of the Jewish Council of Ukraine, Head of Babyn Yar Memorial Fund Levitas I. M., 13.03.1999 the commission was organized by the Kyiv city state administration, headed by the Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration Stashevsky S. T., which wark resulted in issuing of a separate protocol (doc. number 3). Paragraph 3.1 of this protocol to specify the places of mass execution of people, establish security boundaries, provided the development of historical and urban basic plan of Babyn Yar with the surrounding territories.

Geographically - the top of the Babyn Yar ravine was near the actual Dorohozhytska Street and its mainstream (exactly - ravine), began from the actual Melnikov Street towards Kurenivka. Here was one of the biggest gullies in Kyiv (length more than 2.5 km depth from 5 to 30 m) on the bottom of which flowed a stream of the same name, in the past - right tributary of Pochayna river. [1]

On the northern side, branches of the ravine reached the actual O. Teliga Street, and one of them crossed the street in depth near the houses number 25, 27.

According to the historical version the name ” Babyn Yar ” appeared in the XV century. The first mention of it falls on 1401, when the owner of this land, old woman that was tavern keeper, sold it to Dominican monastery.

Babyn Yar is a system of ravines in the northwest part of Kyiv, which was formed as a result of erosion, sinse Quaternary period. Soil base areas consisted of bright clay, on which loams and sands subsided during the Ice Age.

During the period of Kievan Rus Babin and Repyahovyi ravines were natural defence boundaries of ancient Kyiv.

On the high mountain, where Babyn Yar came into the valley of the Dnieper, Vsevolod Ol’govich in about 1140 founded Kyrylivskyi monastery and built a stone church in it. After Khan Batyi captured Kyiv, there wasn’t any mantions about Kyrylivskyi monastery up the XVI century. During this time the church and monastery land were in private ownership. In the XVII-XVIII centuries Monastery gets the significant landarea and conducts huge construction activity.

In the following years this area remained sparsely populated.

In 1786 an ancient Kyrylivskyi monastery used as a home for disabled soldiers. In 1803 were built new one-storeyed buildings, where hospital for the mentally ill located. In Soviet times this medical facility was completely respecialized in psychoneurological hospital. In 1920-30 it was named after T. Shevchenko, and fsinse 1936 - Academician Ivan Pavlov. Now here is the first medical diagnostic and scientific and educational center.

Along the cape between Babi and Repyahovyi ravines in Cyrillic forest gradually Kyrylivske Orthodox cemetery formed (closed in 1929). On the north side in 1892-1894 construction of Lukianivka Jewish cemetery was started at the end of the pair side of Great Dorohozhytska Street, the current Melnikov Street.

There was berau house on the territory of the Jewish cemetery, which remained up today (now – Melnikov st., 44) (picture number 1). On the odd side of Melnikov Street also cemetery was created where soldiers were buried (so called Fraternal Cemetery). On the odd side of Lagerna Street (now - Dorohozhytska Street) since 1878 acted Lukianivskyi Orthodox cemetery (now – nikropol reserve).

In 1869 large area north from Old Zhytomyr Road (now Degtyarivska Street) between Lukianivka cemetery and the tops of the ravine Babyn Yar - on the one side, and the river Syrets - on the other side, was given for summer military camps. Here were built light houses, wooden churche, equipped parade ground, shooting ground and training field.

In 1895 to the tramlines were constructed to the camps, the so-called Camp Line, that worked for several years. During the First World War, in 1916 the line was closed due to shortage of wagons and tramways were dismantled. [2]

After the revolution and until the beginning of the war of 1941-1945 Syretsk camps remained in disposal of the militaries, the armored units were deployed here. On the forking of Melnikov and Camp Streets (now Dorohozhytska Street) repair station operated to mantain armored units, of which there are some buildings of the actual mechanical plant and former garages remained (picture number 2).

Construction of camps practically did not change the character of the area: it was a sparsely populated suburb of Kyiv, whose difficult terrain made the chaotic development more difficult. More intensively the development of the area became in the second half of XIX century. In 1863 the prison castle was built, new Streets were laid - the actual Stara Poliana, Ovruchska, Herzen, Makarivska, Baggoutivska. On the place of the former Old Zhytomyr road Dehtyarivska Street was laid, named after the merchant M. Degtyarev who gave means for almshouse building at this plase. During the 1-st World War almshouse buildings were transformed into the military hospital, then into school (now - Kyiv Institute of the Army of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine).

In 1885, on Baggoutovska Street, 1, the new Jewish Hospital complex was built. On the Great Dorohozhytska Street (now – Melnikov st., 31) the shelter for the children from military families operated, named after Crown Prince Alexei. On the corner of Malodorohozhytska and Makarivska Streets the school-shelter for deaf-and-dumbs located.

Near Lukyanivka several enterprises located, of which the largest was the cable plant on the Baggoutovska Street, 29 (now - Baggoutovska, 10).

Mainly in the area dominated homestead and barrack-type building boundaries reached nearly Lukianivka cemetery. Rigft here was one of the municipal wastes. [3]

New possibilities for changes opened after the Government decision in 1934 to transfer the capital of Soviet Ukraine from Kharkiv to Kyiv. The city turned into a major administrative and cultural center.

On the territory of Luk’yanivka construction of dwelling houses begins. In 1937-1938 the five-storeyd house was built on Melnikov st., 48 (now - Melnikov, 12), where the families of the Red Army officers lived. Authority paid significant attention to the development of the saburbs, including Luk’yanivka.

There are two historical misunderstandings connected with Melnikov Street. First, it was never officially called “Street of Melnik.” Sinse 1869 it was called Dorohozhytska (The Great Dorohozhytska). In 1922, it received its present name in honor of Kiev Marxist Y. Melnikov. [4]

However, on the plan of routes and passages in Kyiv published in 1932, [5] , as well as on the schematic plans of the city, published in Kharkiv in 1935, it was named ” Street of Melnik”. The same name is used in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, and the German charts in 1941. It is also used in the guide for visitors of Kyiv, released in 1937 [6]. After that, it was often called so among people and even in some official documents. But this is purely a linguistic error.

In confirmation of this there are two documents drawn up almost simultaneously in the late 1940s, when collecting data on the monuments destroyed or damaged during the German occupation. The documents describe the same house, burned by the Germans during the retreat from Kyiv in 1943 – house of Yuri Melnikov.

In one of them, drown in Russian “The monument certificate”, it’s described as “a house of Melnikov”, which is located in “Kyiv city, Melnikov Str., № 15 “. Further it says that “here lived and worked in 1893-1896 one of the first Social Democrats of the tsarist Russia locksmith Y. Melnikov. His workshop was a secret underground school and secret address for the social democracy workers of 90-ies ” [7] .

In the 2-d document issued in the Cultural department of the City Executive Committee in Ukrainian language “List of cultural monuments and antiquity, destroyed by German occupiers in Kyiv” in the part ” historical and revolutionary monuments ” specified ” House of Melnik” located in “Kyiv city, Melnikov Str., № 15”. [8] .

There’s no doubt about Identity of objects [9], heroes and Street names. This means that in the second case we are dealing with a common error noted above.

It should be noted that during the occupation the old name was returned to the Street - Dorohozhytska [10] . A. Kudryckyi indicates that the Street had this name until 1957, but yet, on the map of 1965, it retains that name.

Before the war the paved part of Melnikov Street passed between the two cemeteries - the Jewish and the Military (Fraternal) and continued as dirt road. People who lived in the saburbs went on it to downtown. The fact that the paved part of the road ended between two cemeteries, led to that on some maps it ended there, while on the others continued to the actual Schuseva Street.

In particular, the schematic plan of 1935 and the plans of Kyiv made on its basis, published in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, issued in 1936 and in the Small Soviet Encyclopedia, issued in 1937 [11] indicated the unpaved part of Melnikov Street, which crossed the ravine and went further in Gostomel direction. This section of Melnikov Street was asphalted only in the 1950s.

Thus, by the early 1950’s Babyn Yar kept its shape, which mainstream began from the underground station “Dorogozhychy” and extended towards Kurenivka. And in the area from Melnikov Street to Dorohozhytska Street was wasteland, overgrown with bushes and small trees. Through it following the path, people went to the tram stop on Laherna St. (now Dorohozhytska St.).

In the book ” Babyn Yar -The Book of Remembrance”in the part ” Undiscovered secrets of ” Babyn Yar ” the Head of Babyn Yar Memorial Fund, head of the Society of Jewish Culture Ukraine Levitas I. M. writes: “Those who believe that the crime was commited on the spot where the monument stands in Dorohozhytska Street , they are wrong, Babyn Yar - a huge ravine with branches, which extends towards Kurenivka - to St. Cyril Church for nearly three and a half kilometres. At the bottom of it flowed streams that in spring overflowed and formed small lakes. Locals called it Kyrylivskyi.

This ravine started near the Jewish cemetery, the blank wall of which stretched along Melnikov Street. It was a very large cemetery, its area reached the regional hospital, and the branches of the Babi and Repyahov ravines. There is still the house, where there bureau and cemetery funeral service located – this is house number 44 on the Melnikova Street. Now here is a hostel of the hockey team “Sokil”. Here was the main entrance and the central alley began that was humpered by unnamed branch of Kirillov revine. Here in 1991 the monument “Menorah” – the Jewish seven-stick candelabrum was esteblished. [12]

Since the war began the construction of fortifications was intensively carried out in Kiev. During these works the anti-tank ditches blocked main highways of the city. Thus, in order not to paralyze the movement the ditches were dug on both sides of the Streets and roadway remained intact. One of these ditches was dug perpendicular to the Melnikov Street little further its crossing with Pugachev Street. [13] .

Another ditch was dug near the Babyn Yar. It’s constantly found in the sources as a place of mass executions and burials.

After the announcement of the State Extraordinary Commission the anti-tank ditch was repeatedly mentioned in published documents. Thus, in 1954 in materials of the Nuremberg Trial were printed excerpts from the testimonies, that were given in 1945 by the chief cavalry sergeant G. Adamts who guarded the prisoners, that burned corpses at Babyn Yar. In particular, he said: “In one of the anti-tank ditches a grave was made, which was partially filled with corpses. This ditch was up to 100 meters in length, 10 meters in width and of 4-5 meters in depth… ” [14] .

In 1966 A. Kuznetsov in the documental novel ” Babyn Yar ”, talking about the burning corpses in 1943, wrote: “They began to take outwards the revine: in the next anti-tank ditch, about two hundred meters in length” [15] .

During interrogation by the KGB USSR on the cases of Kallsen K., Matner (1967) and I. Pil (1980) the witnesses told:

Yevhenyev A. (1967): “Behind Dorohozhytska Street, on the other side of Syretskiy camp the anti-tank ditch was dug ” [16] (doc. number 4).

Klepco P. (1980): “At the beginning of Babyn Yar ravine, on the side of Dorohozhytska Street, anti-tank ditch was dug” [17] (doc. number 5).

Chernyakova J. (1980): “… I was walking from Lukianivka cemetery along Dorohozhytska Street in the direction of the actual D. Korotchenko Street. On the crossroad of these Streets the anti-tank ditch was dug ” [18] (doc. number 6).

In her testimonies recorded on video, given in 1997 by employees of the Fund “The survived Shoahs,” L. Zavorotna told that “when the war began, they locals, were sent” to the trenches”. One such anti-tank ditch extended from Lukianivka cemetery and to the very Syretsk camps ” [19] . And then, standing on the Dorohozhytska Street, near its crossing with O. Teligy Street, she pointed at the pavement behind the line of trees and said that there was anti-tank ditch of about three meters in width and depth, which extended to the cemetery [20] .

Thus, we can say that the anti-tank ditch, which during the German occupation becameth the place of mass executions, was dug from Lukianivka cemetery along the left side of the Lagerna Street (along actual morgue building) and crossed it in the place where it turned in the direction of Degtyarevska Street and Brest-Litovsk Avenue (at that time Lagerna Street included the actual T. Shamrila Street).

By this time, both in research and public awareness there is imagination of some single action that began and ended on September 29 or September 30 or later, but was held without interruption and by the same scenario. As a result of trying to locate these events, they at first look for one route and one place, and accordingly, try to keep all the shootings in a single action, corresponding testimonies of various witnesses.

In fact, we are dealing with a series of single actions, held for at least two years by various punitive bodies, different in scale, in relation to varioys groups of civilians (primarily Jews and Gypsies, hostages, intellectuals), POW , guerillas and members of an underground and what really matters, in different places, although within the same, small enough area.

The first lasted from September to late October (or even mid-November) 1941. Executions during this time were mainly carried out by mobile units of the SS (einzats and police units) in assistance with the Gendarmerie (witnesses repeatedly describe typical uniform with big metal badge on chest) and units of the Wehrmacht (there are documents which indicate that in the shooting on September 29-30, participated the 454th Guarding Division [21] , 75th and 299th Infantry Division [22] ).

In the book ” Babyn Yar. The Book of remembrance”in the part “Undiscovered secrets of ” Babyn Yar ” Head of Babyn Yar Memorial Fund, head of the Society of Jewish Culture in Ukraine Levitas I. M. writes: “Executions continued for two years. During this time tens of thousands of people of different nationalities: Jews, Ukrainian, Russians, Gypsies were killed… By the way, Gypsies were shot in the first days of occupation immediately after the Jews: three Kurenevka camps. Shot by the St. Cyril Church, right there at Kurenivka. There were almost 100 people. The last Gypsies were shot right before the liberation of Kyiv: 12 kibitkas that tried to leave Kyiv “. [23]

Also, since the first days of occupation the mass shootings of the party officials and senior executives in Kyiv began.

November 12 in the informatio of the Imperial German Main department of Security “Notification of events in the USSR» № 132 there’s message: “During the initiated by zondercommand 4-a investigation on the case of underground apparat of KP in Ukraine in Kiev a number of functionaries has already been arrested. Useful and detailed information about the new organization of the KP in Kiev gave Ukrainian Ivan Romanchenko … Sinse 1931 Romanchenko was a member of the KP and recently – the secretary of the Lenin’s district party committee in Kiev “. [24]

The central event in the history of the Babyn Yar massacre was the mass elimination campaign of the Jewish population in Kyiv on 29-30 September 1941. First of all, we should try to answer the question, why Babyn Yar was chosen for it.

Before the occupation, Babyn Yar was the edge of town on the south side of which was a large number of cemeteries. In particular, Jewish, Cyril Orthodox, Muslim, Karaite, Fraternal (military), Lukyanivske. Therefore, to our opinion, the German-fascist invaders chose Babyn Yar for mass executions of people.

September 28 a message appeared on the streets in three languages ​​(picture number 3), according to which “All the Jews of Kyiv and its saburbs should come on Monday of the 29-th of September 1941 until 8 am to the corner of Melnykov and Dokterivska Streets.”

Its text excludes any assumption of being prepared by somebody of the Kyiv inhabitants. This is convincingly corroborated by indicated therein topographic inconsistencies. Because the cemetery, no matter - Jewish or Orthodox, began on the croosroad of Lagerna Street with Melnikov (now Dorohozhytska Street) and not with Dihtyarivska Street, which, besides, was called Dokterivska.

The route, which led people to the place of the shootings was described by many witnesses and is generally known. The men were led to be shot directly to Babyn Yar by the actual Melnikov and Dorohozhytska Streets.

It is said in the “Notification of events in the USSR” № 101 of October 2, 1941: “Zondercommand 4-a in cooperation with the staff of the group and two teams of police regiment “South “29 and 9/30/41 executed in Kiev 33,771 Jews.” [ 25]

However, there were executions also the following days.

The official Soviet publication in 1965 stated: “Executions in Babyn Yar lasted 5 days from morning to night.” Judging from the context, it refers to five days, from September 29, 1941 [26]

This version is generally accepted. Kyiv historian V. Korol give a well-known fact that “since September 29, 1941, during five days at Babyn Yar more than 100 thousand people were killed, mostly Jews. [27]

At the same time sinse mid-October of 1941 to the end of September 1943 Babyn Yar was the site of regular executions (and burial), conducted by the Security Police and SD [28] in close cooperation with military and civil authorities of Kyiv.

Thus, the former chief of the Kyiv police service, Lieutenant General P. Scheer at Kiev process testified that “two times in February [1942] gave SD teams of 30 people to assist in the shootings and later SD had a special company for this”. [29]

It should be noted that from the very beginning the personnel of the newly established Ukrainian police was also involved in shootings.

The second period of shooyings in Baby Yar could theoretically be divided into three stages.

The first phase, lasted from mid-October to the spring of 1942. It begans on the backdrop of the ongoing mass actions, and at this time the local military authorities intensively involved in the executions units of the SS, which vere deployed in Kiev.

The second phase of systematic executions: the end of winter 1942 - mid-August 1943, conventionally coincides with the time of activity of the joint SD agency in Kiev, and Gestapo (KDS), which replaced the BDS Office. The KDS also included remains of the operational command 5.

The third and final period of systematic executions in Babyn Yar took place on the background of intensive corpses elimination work, which took place in Babyn Yar in August-September 1943 g. This work was conducted by Syretskiy concentration camp prisoners, resettled in the dugout, placed directly in Babyn Yar. The camp itself during this period was gradually evacuated.

The work began on August 18 and ended on September 28, 1943. They were directly managed by Sturmbannfuhrer SS E. Tonhayde (witnesses call him Tonayde), one of the direct participants of the shooting on September 29-30 1941. Protection was provided by the special Unit 1005, staffed exclusively with officers and non-commissioned officers.

As for the victims of repressions, there are three categories among them. First – the Jews who managed saved during the mass executions. Second - former Syretskiy concentration camp prisoners. Third - the survived participants of corpses burning in Babyn Yar, some of which also went through Syretsky concentration camp [30] .

The earliest date of the beginning of the shootings told in his testimonies, given to People’s Commisariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) on November 15, 1943 I. Azarov, who lived on Babyn Yar Street, 19 (now Olzhych Street).

According to him, “the Germans entered Kyiv on 19.IX.1941 and on 20.IX.41, they led groups of mainly Soviet prisoners of war to be shot in Babyn Yar, that is about 800 - 1000 meters from my house. Personally I didn’t see how they were shot, as there was guard and they didn’t let us go closer, we could only hear the cries of people and automatic shots. Thus from 20.IX.41 every day the Germans led to the shootings hundreds of people ” [31] (doc. number 7).

With this evidence also coincide the words of M. Lutsenko, daughter of the Lukianivskyi cemetery watchman S. Lutsenko. During the occupation she lived with her family in a house 96 on Melnikov Street. At the NKVD interrogation as a witness on the 15-th of November 1943 she told that “approximately in September 1941, I saw myself how German execution squads led the Red Army prisoners who were naked, behind the Russian cemetery (Luk’yanivka). No matters how long I observed, those who had been led there – didn’t return”. [32] (doc. number 12).

It is known that in May 1941 the Supreme Command of the armed forces of Germany prepared “Directive on the treatment to responsible political officials and other persons of that kind.”

In particular, it stated:

“1. Responsible political officials and political (leaders) should be eliminated.

2. As they will be captured by the troops, the decision about whether they should be executed, is made by the officer who has the right to impose disciplinary sanctions. For the decision the fact of discovering that the person is the governing political official is enough.

3. Political leaders are not considered as prisoners by the armed forces and should be eliminated, no later than in the transit camps. No evacuation to the rear area “. [33]

Thus, most likely immediately after the capturing of Kyiv in Babyn Yar the shootings of the political officials, prisoners of war, the Communists, who were captured began. The place of shootings may be determined only approximately. Anyway, behind Lukianivka cemetery there was a large number of trenches dug during the tactical training of the soldiers that were deployed in Syretsk military camps.

The later date of the beginning of executions than Azarov’s, told in November 1943 to Extraordinary State Commission N. Gorbachev, who lived not far from the Babyn Yar, on Tiraspol Street, 55, fl. 2.

She said that “On September 22, 1941 I personally saw how during the day in Babyn Yar about 40 trucks was moving that were overloaded by Jewish population - men, women and children, some women were holding infants in hands.

I and a few women who lived near Babyn Yar, invisibly to the German guard, approached the place where the vehicle were stopping a and people brought on them unloading. We saw that in 15 meters before Babyn Yar started, the Germans forced the brought Jews to undress and told them to run along the ravine, shooting those who were fleing, with rifles and machine guns.

I saw myself how the Germans threw babies into the ravine. In the ravine there were not only shot but also wounded, and alive children. The same Germans buried ravine, and one could see how a thin layer of the ground moved because of the alive people” [34] (doc. number 8)

From early morning on September 29, 1941 Jews from all over Kyiv began to gather near the plant of Artem. Where further laid their way?

Here are the testimonies of those who managed to escape from death (all they were given in 1980).

S. Tauzhnyanskyy, born in 1929: “passing our Tropinin Street to the crossing it Ovruchska Street we went in the direction of New Ovruchska Street (now Yakira St.). As we were approaching this street the number of the citizens with things increased, and when came out on the Street of Melnik, it was full of people that were moving in the direction of the crossroad of Melnik and Pugachev Streets”.

Yet there have remained some of the street barricades made at the beginning of the war with bags stuffed with sand. These piles made a kind of barrier, behind which the accompanying were not allowed, and those people that went to the place of gathering, the Germans took under convoy and pursued further in the direction of Babyn Yar.

Germans divided the people into groups of approximately 500-600 people and convoyed them down along the Street of Melnik, then across the Degtyarevska Street, along Dorohozhytska Street by Lukianivka and Military (Fraternal) cemeteries, and then to the right, directly in Babyn Yar.

Dorohozhytska Street and the road where there is O. Teligy Street now were blocked by Nazi machine gunners with dogs and so Babyn Yar area was completely surrounded”. [35] (doc. number 9).

J. Ekel, born in 1923: “In the morning of September 29, 1941 father, mother, grandmother and I in a cart harnessed with only one horse, came to the area of Lukianivka market until about 10am. We were approaching Pugachev Street. Once those who crossed Pugachev street, they were taken under the Nazi machine gunners convoy and back to the Melnikov Street no one was allowed”. [36] (doc. number 10).

G. Batasheva: “In the morning of September 29, 1941 … at about 9 am we left our yard and went along Artem Street to which from all other streets gathered people and in the general flow moved till the Street of Melnik and Degtyarevska Street … We stayed a bit, but people still went on walking in a continuous stream towards Babyn Yar. The was already about 10 am and we walked down the Street of Melnik in the general mass of people … I remember very well how at this time in the opposite direction from the side of Babyn Yar convoy of trucks was moving. Just can’t remember the exact number of them, something about 15, each car was covered with a tarpaulin. In the car bodies were 2-3 Nazis with machine guns. Near the crossroad of Melnikov and Pugachev Streets Nazi machine gunners took us under convoy and back on the Street of Melnik no one was allowed”. [37]

D. Pronicheva “in one of such groups of 500-600 people, I was convoyed with my mother. As we passed along the Babyn Yar and approached the high level platform, we had to pass some kind of alive passage of Nazis aligned in 2 rows. Passing 30 meters through this corridor, we appeared on the mentioned above platform where people were stripped and in groups of 50-60 people led into the ravine, which was approximately 30 meters from the site and there they were shot with machineguns ” [38] (doc. number 11) .

K. Werner, in 1941, served in zondercommand 4-a (testimonies given in 1964):

”… the whole team, except the guard, about 6 o’clock in the morning went to these shootings … We stopped on the paved street, which ended in open area. There were a lot of Jews, and there was also arranged a place where Jews had to take their clothes and things. One kilometer away, I saw a large natural ravine. It was a sandy area. The ravine was approximately 10 meters in depth, 400 meters in length, about 80 meters in width on the top and about 10 meters on the bottom.

Immediately after my arrival at the place of execution, together with other friends I had to go down into this ravine. This lasted not long, and soon the first Jews were brought to us on the slopes. The Jews had to lay face to the ground near the walls of the ravine. In the ravine there were three groups of riflemen, and in general - about 12. Simultaneously with shooting new Jews were brought to these groups all the time from the top. The next Jews were supposed to lay over earlier shot Jews. The riflemen stood behind the Jews and kill them shotting in the neck…

…This day, executions continued until about 17 or 18 o’closk”. [39] .

Germans couldn’t cope with such number of people, therefor mounted a heavy machinegun. In the article “Undiscovered secrets of Babyn Yar ” Levitas I. M. writes: “Many remembered the fact of shooting with heavy machine gun, particullarly women, who lived then, and some live now in the surrounding buildings, in particular on Babyn Yar Street, № 15 (now Olzhychc Street): Ludmila Zavorotnaya , Inna Yevhenyeva, Natalia Tkachenko and others. [40]

After the mass elimination of Jews in Kiev executions continued. In November 1941, the priests were shot for the calls to resist the invaders.

From the testimonies given to NKVD 23.11.1943 by N. Gorbachev who was witness of the shootings: “In winter 1942, I do not remember exactly in which month, German soldiers brought to Babyn Yar 65 sailors of the Red Navy. Hands and legs were in chains so that they could hardly move.

The POWs were convoyd absolutely naked and barefoot on the snow in the terrible frost.

Local inhabitants were throwing shirts and shoes into the column of prisoners, but the they refused to take them, and remember one of them said, “We’ll die for our homeland, the Soviet Union and Stalin”. After this the sailors began to sing The International for what German soldiers started to beat them with sticks. The fact that they were worn the sailor’s caps told they were from Navy.

Sailors convoyed to the ” Babyn Yar ” were shot by the Germans ” [41] (doc. number 8).

In the article “Pain does not abate” M. Smith wrote: “In a month after the death of seafarers (February 1942) over 40 Ukrainian nationalists – members of an underground were shot here, among them was the poetess O. Teliha. [42]

From the verdict of E. Erlinher case:

“After his return from vocation (about 20/01/42) prior to arrival in Kyiv of accused Erlinhera (mid-February 1942) Dr. Schumacher ordered to conduct 3-4 gassing. Chosen for gassing prisoners usually early in the morning were loaded into the gas vehicle in the prison yard and after the gassing that was held still in the prison yard they were driven to the antitank ditch on the northern outskirts of Kyiv “. [43]

German archival sources let to estimate the scale of activity in this period of only OK - 5.

From the verdict of E. Erlinher case:

“Hundreds of Jews were killed in Kiev in winter 1941-42 by the operational command - 5” [44] .

“Notification of events in the USSR” № 173 of 25 February 1942 provides an opportunity to specify these numbers:

“Operational team - 5 from 12/01 to 01/24/42 inclusively, by the laws of wartime, shot 104 political functionaries, 75 saboteurs and looters, and about 8000 Jews”. [45]

From the conclusion of the Extraordinary State Commission for the investigation of crimes and Nazi occupation, 27 November 1943:

“…In six pits of the size 10x3x3 and in a trench of 20 m in diameter and 6 m in depth, located inside the [Syretskiy] camp, 650 corpses of the shot and killed by other means Soviet citizens and prisoners of war were buried…

During the opening of grave pits it was found that there wasn’t a proper disposal of corpses in them, but a chaotic dumping and burying of men and women had place. The corpses in pits were mostly without clothes and only on some corpses were ragged underwear, shoes or pants only.

…In the trench some corpses were lying on bloody mattresses. There on the ground were lying dirty dressings and bandages …

The forensic medical examination showed that the the deaths became as the result of head injuries, caused by the shots, fractures of the skull and bones of the lower jaw, caused by heavy blunt object blow.

Firearm wounds were located in the occipital and temporal parts of the head “. [46]

Commission opened only a small number of burrials.

At the same time the “belt” continued to wark on Korolenko Street, 33, where Gestapo was. Every week the cars with new victims approached the Babyn Yar.

M. Lutsenko (witness of 1945):

”… German punitive bodies began systematic elimination of the city’s population. Except Jews, Germans shot Soviet activists, people with physical disabilities, prisoners of war of the Red Army, and others.

Every Tuesday and Friday came the cars to the ravine with those who were arrested in the city and and they were shot.

I also saw how gray covered machines repeatedly came to the ravine, and corpses were brought out them.

Several times I met these machines that were going out of town, there, sometimes, people’s groans could be heard. I think it were the German gas vehicles for killing people. Usually in front of the vehicle went the car with commander and behind - the opened truck with armed gendarmes ” [47] (doc. number 12).

In August - September 1943 before the German’s retreat from Kyiv, corpses of executed Soviet citizens were excavated and burned in specially prepared for that furnaces.

The exact number of people killed by the Nazis in Babyn Yar has been so far unknown. But most researchers tell the number of about 100-150 thousand people.

The Kurenivska tragedy

In 1950 the Executive Committee of the Kiev City Council decided to fill in the Babyn Yar with waste production of Peter’s brick factories that were nearby. Unsuitable for brick manufacture earthen rock was mixed with water and by way of pulp delivered by tubes to the branches of Babyn Yar, which were separated by two dams, that created three separate reservoirs. In such way, in just ten years, over 4 million cubic meters of soil were inwashed to these reservoirs, particularly in reservoir number 3, where the accident happened later, 3 million 191 thousand cubic meters. The total area of ​​alluvium was about one square kilometer. The layer of alluvium reached 30 meters.

Aggradation performed at altitudes of 40 to 60 meters above the level of large industrial and residential area of ​​Kyiv - Kurenivka - but instead of a concrete dam the earthen was built, which did not meet either the project or safety standards. Capacity of the anti-flood runoff was only 0.5 cubic meters per second that was not enough for exclusion.

At 9.20 o’clock on the 13-th of March 1961 the third reservoir dam which was closer to Kurenivka, was broken, and the mass of liquid pulp poured down. The initial height of the billow reached 14 meters, and speed - 5 meters per second. At 9.30 o’clock the pulp reached Kurenivka and flooded an area of about 30 hectares. Near Frunze Street billow’s height reduced by half. Gradually sparse pulp became hard as stone. And in such form a height of this mass reached three meters. The flow turned over and took away cars, buses, trams, brought down the pillars of power grids, tore the wires. One of the bus collided with a truck and burned. Pulp destroyed almost completely the Krasin tram depot, dozens of its employees perished.

Kurenivskaya disaster destroyed 22 private one-storeyed living houses, 5 two-storeyed, 12 one-storeyed buildings of public fund, two dormitories.

In the message of the government commission investigating the cause of the accident was specified: “In the area of ​​the accident 145 people perished”. Now, the exact number of victims of the catastrophe is almost impossible to determine.

In March 2006, in honor of the 45th anniversary of the disaster, in the recreational park created on the place of Babyn Yar (near the public transport stop “Recreational Park”), a monument to victims in the form of two stone plates and bell between them was opened. In addition, at the entrance to the former Krasin tram depot (now - Podolsk depot) there is a monument to parished employees. In the depot museum there is an exposition with photos and other materials on Kurenivska tragedy.

After the catastrophe in Babyn Yar branches more than three million cubic meters of pulp still remained. By order of the special commission, the water that gathered in the branches through the pipeline, by which came to Babyn Yar the pulp, was pumped out in the opposite direction to brick factories quarries, and then fell into the river Syrets. At the same time in the ravine new fortifications were designed and built, including capital concrete dam. Part of the pulp that flooded Kurenivka was returned in the hardened state on the trucks and used to backfill the Yar. At the same time a new capital dam was made of 172 meters in length and 25 meters high, the one that the initial draft of the early 50’s provided. At the crest of the dam young poplars were planted. For water drainage water pipeline was laid which used a pipes of 100 cm in diameter. New water pipeline could pump 11 cubic meters of water every second, which provided reliable exploitation of branches even during the great floods and total disasters.

Subsequently, upon the filled section of the ravine the road was layed from Syrets to Kurenivka (part of the actual O. Telihy Street) and park arranged.

Monuments set in Babyn Yar and near it

The first monument to the victims of fascism USSR Government planned to set immediately after the war. On March 13, 1945 the Resolution was adopted by the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of Communist Party (Bolshevik) of Ukraine “On the construction of the monument in Babyn Yar” (doc. number 13). But as the President of the Jewish Council of Ukraine, Head of Babyn Yar Memorial Fund I. Levitas wrote: “In 1949, the struggle with”rootless cosmopolitans” began, in fact the Jews, and the question of monument has been frozen for more than a quarter of century”. [48] . On October 19, 1966 ​​a joint decision was made by the Kiev Municipal Committee of CPU and the State Committee “On the establishment of memorial embedded stones in the Babyn Yar and in the park on Privokzalna square in Darnitsa” [49] . Such stone was laid near the underground station “Dorogozhychy”, around the place where now stands a monument to executed children. On July 2, 1976 on Dorohozhytska St. “Monument to Soviet citizens and prisoners of war, soldiers and officers of the Soviet Army, executed by German Nazis in Babyn Yar ” was opened (photo number 4) (sculptor M. Lysenko, O. Vitryk, V. Sukhenko, architects A. Ignashchenko, L . Ivanchenko, V. Ivanchenkov).

Initially, the monument was planned to install on the site of mass executions near the underground station “Dorogozhychi”. But after backfilling of the ravine in 1961 the ground could not stand such a massive monument. It was decided to establish the monument on firm ground between the two places of mass executions: the ravine itself by Melnikov St. and antitank ditch by Dorohozhytska St. Also it was taken into account the fact that opposite the Telihy Street there was Syretskyi concentration camp, in which also many people were killed.

In 1991, on the 29-th of September, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the mass executions in Babyn Yar, memorial plate “Menorah” was installed - Jewish seven-stick candelabrum, dedicated to the tragedy of the Jewish people (photo number 5) (architect Yu. Paskevich, engineer B. Hiller, J. artists Bazilevich, I. Bazilevich), it was placed on the edge of the former Jewish cemetery and former Kirillov Orthodox cemetery, and one of the branches of Baby Yar. Not far from the main monument (of 1976) on February 21, 1992, on the 50th anniversary of the shotting of Olena Teliga and her brothers-in-arms a wooden cross was installed in memory of the executed members of the OUN (photo number 6). Memorable characters that reflect different pages of Babyn Yar tragedy were set in the 90s on the crossroad of Dorohozhytska and Shamrila Streets – to prisoners of Syretskiy concentration camp, on Grekov Street, 22-A – to Kiev football-players, in Cyrillic hospital – to patients, executed in 1941-1942.

In 2000, near the “Menorah” on the former St. Cyril Orthodox cemetery the cross was installed with the inscription: “In this place on November 6, 1941 the priests were shot, Archimandrite Alexander Vishnyakov and Archpriest Pavlo for the appeals to protect the Motherland from the fascists”. (photo number 7). On the 30-th of September 2001, at the exit from underground station “Dorogozhychi” the monument to children executed in Babyn Yar was opened (photo number 8) (sculptor V. Medvedev, architects Kukharenko R. and J. Melnychuk).

On September 30, 2001 between Melnikov and Dorohozhytska Streets the stone was laid with the inscription: “This stone is set on the day of the 60th anniversary of the massacre of Jews in Babyn Yar as a sign of proof that the communal and cultural Center “The Legacy” will be constructed on this site (photo number 9). In 2005 a monument to the victims of Nazism with a symbolic image of concentration camp and the inscriptions “Remembrance for the Future” and “To the World, desolated by Nazism” was installed on the crossroad of Dorohozhytska and Oranzhereyna Streets. Apostrophe in the word “Pam’yat” made in the form of the Latin letter «u» («Ukrainians”) with the «Ost» stamp («Ostarbeiters”) (photo № 10). In March 2006, at the expense of the Party of Defenders of the Motherland, monument to the victims of the Kurenevska tragedy of 1961was established in honor of the 45th anniversary of the disaster (photo № 11). Also three burial mounds with black metal crosses were installed on the edge of precipice by an unknown author. On one of the crosses there’s inscription: “And on to this place people were killed in 1941. Lord give rest to their souls “(photo № 13).

Literature and sources

1. Ponomarenko L, Resnick O. Short toponymic guide. - K., 2003 .- P. 8.

2. Explanatory note to the General reconstruction plan of Kiev. - K., 1936. - P. 74

3. Kyiv Encyc. guide. / Ed. A. V. Kudryckyi. - K., 1981. - P. 375.

4. The scheme of routes and passages of Kyiv divided into kilometres and parts of km. Off. Type. Of the Section of transport, communications and road construction, Kyiv Municipal Council; composed by: Tever I. Ju, Malyshev P. V., Packer Ju. A. - 1:10000. - K., 1932.

5. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M., 1936. - T.32 .- STB. 255-256

6.State archive of Kiev region, f. P - 4322, op.1.

6. “Draft of new street names” 1941 (DAKO, fax. F. R. - 2356, op. 1 spr.50, p.64) and list of house management offices of 1943.

7. Levytas I. Babyn Yar: “Saviors and saved”. - K., 2005.

8. The streets of Kyiv: guide. / Ed. Kudrycka A. V. - K., 1995. - P.69.

9. The small Soviet Encyclopedia. - M., 1937. - V.5 - P.419.

11.Levytas I. “Children of Babyn Yar”. - K., 2008.

12. Kravchuck, A. A. “The memories of Kravchucks family”. - K., 2001. - P. 105 – 106, 108

13. The Nyurnberg process: Collection of materials. 2-d addition, Corr. and ed / Horshenin K. P. and others. - M., 1954. - T. (further - Nyurnberg process). - P. 643.

14. Kuznetsov A. “Babyn Yar: Novel - document / / Youth. - 1966. - № 10. - P.28.

15. Fund “The survived Shoah” video-recorded evidences Zavorotnoy L., 1 oct. 1997, Cass. 3

16. Collection of documents and materials on elimination of Ukrainian Jews by Nazis in 1941-1944 / Comp. Kruglov A. - K., 2002. - P. 78.

17. Kegel G. “In storms of our century: The notes of scout anti-fascist. - M., 1987.

18. Levytas F., Shymanovskyi M.”Babiy Yar: Pages of the tragedy”.- K., 1991.

19. Pavlenko P., Prymost V. “Academy of genocide, or the monologue about Last Judgment” / / Komsomolsk Banner. - 1990. - May 8.

20. Levytas I. “Babyn Yar: Book remembrance”. - K., 2005.

21. The Ukrainian SSR in the Great Patriotic war of the Soviet Union 1941-1945. - K., 1965. - Vol.1. - P.675-676.

22. Evstafieva T., Nakhmanovich V. Babyn Yar: “The man, the power, the historystory” / / K., 2004.

23. Kyiv trial: Doc. and materials. - K., 1995. - P. 42.

24. “Criminal goals – criminal means: Documents on occupational policy of the Nazi Germanys in the territory of the USSR (1941-1944). Edit. 3. - M., 1985.

25. Martynenko B. A. / / Die Shoah von Babij Jar. - P.365

26. Petrashevych Yu. Ind. Work / / Kyiv. - 1994. - № 5 / 6. - P.103.

27. Budnik, D., Kaper J. Ind. Comp. - P.162.

28. Korol V. Yu. “Babyn Yar and the Nazi genocide against intellectuals and POW / / Bulletin of Kyiv. Univ. hist.-phil Sciences. - 1992. - Ed.8 .- 23.

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

1. Order of the President of Ukraine № 1172/2005 – ord. “On measures of implementation of the state policy in the sphere of ethnic relations, religion and church”.

2. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 01.03.2007 “Concerning the National Historical Memorial Reserve «Babyn Yar».

3. Protocol for the examination of location of some facilities of Oleny Teligy Street reconstruction near its crossroad with Melnikov Street from 13.03.1999

4. From the prosecutor’s office interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Evheneva A. February 14, 1967.

5. From the NKVD interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Klepko P. (Savytskoy) July 31, 1980.

6. From the KGB interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Chernyakovoy I. September 23, 1980.

7. From the NKVD interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Azarov I. November 5, 1943.

8. From the NKGB interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Horbacheva N. 28 November, 1943.

9. From the KGB interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Tauzhnyanskyi S. 20 May, 1980.

10. From the KGB interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Akel Ja. July 28, 1980.

11. From the Kyiv trial interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Pronycheva D. January 12, 1946.

№ 12. From the NKVD interrogation protocol of the witness of shootings in Babyn Yar of Lutsenko M. December 27, 1945.

№ 13. Resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of Communist Party (Bolshevik) “On the construction of the monument in Babyn Yar ”

[1] Ponomarenko L, Resnick O. Short toponymic guide. - K., 2003 .- P. 8.

[2] Evstafieva T., Nakhmanovich V. Babyn Yar: “The man, the power, the historystory” / / - K., 2001. - P. 67-68

[3] Explanatory note to the General reconstruction plan of Kiev. - K., 1936. - P. 74

[4] Kyiv Encyc. guide. / Ed. A. V. Kudryckyi. - K., 1981. - P. 375.

[5] The scheme of routes and passages of Kyiv divided into kilometres and parts of km. Off. Type. Of the Section of transport, communications and road construction, Kyiv Municipal Council; composed by: Tever I. Ju, Malyshev P. V., Packer Ju. A. - 1:10000. - K., 1932.

[6] The Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M., 1936. - T.32 .- STB. 255-256

[7] State archive of Kiev region, f. P - 4322, op.1, P. 49

[8] DAKO, Guide 3, P. 49

[9] It shold be noted, in A. Kudryckyi guide tells that it was house 23 and in the house 15 “Lukianivka Club” was located (Kyiv Encyc. guide - P.375).

[10] “Draft of new street names” 1941 (DAKO, fax. F. R. - 2356, op. 1 spr.50, p.64) and list of house management offices of 1943. (there, guide 18, P. 41).

[11] The small Soviet Encyclopedia. - M., 1937. - V.5 - P.419.

[12] Levytas I. “Babyn Yar: Book remembrance”. - K., 2005. P. 9

[13] Kravchuck, A. A. “The memories of Kravchucks family”. - K., 2001. - P. 105 – 106, 108

[14] The Nyurnberg process: Collection of materials. 2-d addition, Corr. and ed / Horshenin K. P. and others. - M., 1954. - T. (further - Nyurnberg process). - P. 643.

[15] Kuznetsov A. “Babyn Yar: Novel - document / / Youth. - 1966. - № 10. - P.28.

[16] The State SBU archive, guide 1, v. 1, p. 180.

[17] The State SBU archive, guide 1, v. 1, p. 196.

[18] There, P. 238

[19] Fund “The survived Shoah” video-recorded evidences Zavorotnoy L., 1 oct. 1997, Cass. 3

[20] There, Cass. 10.

[21] Collection of documents and materials on elimination of Ukrainian Jews by Nazis in 1941-1944 / Comp. Kruglov A. - K., 2002. - P. 78.

[22] The State SBU archive, guide 1, v. 1, p. 287.

[23] Levytas I. “Babyn Yar: Book remembrance”. - K., 2005. P. 9.

[24] Collection of documents and materials on elimination of Ukrainian Jews by Nazis, p. 99.

[25] Collection of documents and materials on elimination of Ukrainian Jews by Nazis, p. 77.

[26] Ukrainian SSR in the Great Patriotic war of the Soviet Union 1941-1945. - K., 1965. - Vol.1. - p. 79

[27] Korol V. Yu. “Babyn Yar and the Nazi genocide against intellectuals and POW / / Bulletin of Kyiv. Univ. hist.-phil Sciences. - 1992. - Ed.8 .- 23.

[28] SD: Sicherheits - Dienst - Security Service.

[29] Kyiv trial: Doc. and materials. - K., 1995. - P. 42.

[30] Evstafieva T., Nakhmanovich V. Babyn Yar: “The man, the power, the historystory” / / - K., 2001. - P. 94-95

[31] The State SBU archive, guide 937, v. 1, p. 2.

[32] There, p. 3.

[33] “Criminal goals – criminal means: Documents on occupational policy of the Nazi Germanys in the territory of the USSR (1941-1944). Edit. 3. - M., 1985. p.

130-131

[34] The State SBU archive, guide 1, V. 1, p. 178. Criminal goals – criminal means. - p. 126.

[35] There, p. 125.

[36] There, p. 232.

[37] Martynenko B. A. / / Die Shoah von Babij Jar. - P.365

[38] The State SBU archive, guide 1, V. 1, p. 76

[39] Collection of documents and materials on elimination of Ukrainian Jews by Nazis, p. 82-83.

[40] Levytas I. “Children of Babyn Yar”. - K., 2008. p. 10.

[41] The State SBU archive, guide 1, V. 1, p. 179. Criminal goals – criminal means. - p. 126-127.

[42] Levytas I. Babyn Yar: “Saviors and saved”. - K., 2005. - p. 253.

[43] Collection of documents and materials on elimination of Ukrainian Jews by Nazis, p. 141.

[44] There, p. 140.

[45] There, p. 116

[46] Kyiv trial - p. 133-134.

[47] The State SBU archive, guide 1, V. 1, p. 162

[48] ​​ Levytas I. “Babyn Yar: Book remembrance”. - K., 2005. p. 490.

[49] DAKO, Guide 3, P. 62