Vinnytsia: Mass Killings (Soviet Union--Ukraine)


Figure 1.-- Vinnytsia was one of many sites where the Germans murdered Jews in the East. The Germans began killing a week after the town Jews were hereded into a make-shift the Ghetto. They shot 146 Jews in the town (July 28). Presumbably this was an Einsatzgruppen action. We are not sure how these individuals were selected, but the mass killings did not begin until a few weeks later. We suspect that the Germans were planning how to dispose of the bodies. Shootings resumed (August). The bulk of the town; Jews were shot in pits, some 28,000 people (September 22). An iconic photograph of the action was found in a photographic album of a Einsatzgruppen officer. He wrote on the back, the 'last Jew of Vinnytsia'. The Germans temporarily spared a few adults (craftsmen, workers, and technicians) that were seen as useful. As they were not then well fed or treated, they were also shot once they sickened and were unable to work. The Aktion in Vinnytsia is similar to similar actions througout eastern Poland, the Baltics, Belarus, western Russia, and the Ukraine duting the summer and autumn of 1941as Barbarossa rolled east.

Vinnytsia is a town in the west-central Ukraine on the Southern Bug. It dates bavk to the middle ages. The modern history of the town is tragic. Just before World War II, the NKVD murdered individuals as part of the Great Terror (1937-39). A mass grave reveals that several hundred people, mostly men, were shot. This was done clandestinely and there were no court procedures. They were mostly men, adults of varying ages. It is believed that they were invividuald thought to be Ukranian nationlists. The NKVD action was not brought to light until discoered by the Germans during World War II. The action is similar to the Katyn killings, but these individuls are Ukraniabs and not militay officers. After the Red Army recoocupied the area, all mention of the incident was supressed. Before the NKVD killings were brought to light, the Germans as part of Operation Barbarossa occupied Vinnytsia (July 19, 1941). Some of the town Jews escaped to the east. The remaining Jewss were immediatelky enclosed in a ghetto. This was presumably done by the Whermacht. Ghettoes in the Ukraine were diffrent than in Poland, because the killing began immeditely. Thus they were essentially temporary holding pens until the Einsatzgruppn arrived and began killing them. The Germans began the killing a week after the town Jews wer hereded into the Ghetto. They shot 146 Jews in the town (July 28). Presumbably this was an Einsatzgruppen action. We are not sure how these individuals were selected, but the mass killings did not begin until a few weeks later. We suspect that the Germans were planning how to dispose of the bodies. Sootings resumed (August). The bulk of the town; Jews were shot in pits, some 28,000 people (September 22). An iconic photograph of the action was found in a photographic album of a Einsatzgruppen officer. He wrote on the back, the 'last Jew of Vinnytsia'. The Germans remporarily spared a few adults (craftsmen, workers and technicians) that were seen as useful. As they were not well fed or treated, they were also shot once they sickened abd were unble to work. The action in Vinnytsia is similar to similar actions througout eastern Poland, the Baktics, Belarus, western Russia, and the Ukraine duting the summer and autumn of 1941.

The Town

Vinnytsia is a town in the west-central Ukraine on the Southern Bug. It dates bavk to the middle ages. During the Tsarist period, there were forced conversions of Catholic to Orthodox Christians. The modern history of the town is tragic.

Soviet NKVD Killings (1937-38)

Just before World War II, the Soviet secret police (NKVD) murdered individuals as part of the Great Terror (1937-39). A mass grave reveals that several hundred people, mostly men, were shot. This was done clandestinely and we have been able to find little inbformtion on investigations or court procedures. The normal NKVD operation was to have the vistims undress, tie their hands behinf their backs, and then shoot while they were still in local prisons with 22 calibre pistols. The small calibre meant that many had to be shor twice or more. Many for unknown reasons thad their skulls broken. The bodies were then buried in isolated pits. The individuals were known to be in NKVD custody, but the families were told that they were still alive and sentenced to terms in the Gulag. Some were told that the indiciduals had died of natural causes. Most of the families members simply never received word on what was happened and most were too frightened to ask questions. They were mostly men, adults of varying ages. Most had been buried wuthout their clothes. A few older women were still dressed. It is believed that they were individuals thought by the NKVD to be Ukranian nationlists. The Germans discovered 91 mass graves were discovered at the three different locations. They exhumed 9,432 bodies (including 149 women). Not all of the sites had all the bodies exhumed. There may be as many as 30,000 bodies. No one knows how many of these mass graves exist througout the former Soviet Union. It is likely that virtually every NKVD prison had sites where bodies of prisoners were buried. The NKVD action was not brought to light until discovered by the Germans during World War II. The action is similar to the Katyn killings, but these individuls were mostly Ukranians and not military officers. Local people were able to identify 468 bodies. Another 202 were identified on the basis of documents and evidence found in the graves. They were mostly Ukrainians, but there were also 28 ethnic Poles. There is little evidence indicating why the NKVD arrested them or what they were charged with. Some personal belongings, documents and trial documentation were buried in a separate pit not far from the mass graves. We do not know to what extent this evidence was studied. Exhumations began (May 1943). [Vasiliev] The International Commission brought in by the Germans was only present a few days (July 1943). After the War the Soviets were focused on covering up the whole episode, nit in investigaring it. As with the Katyn mass graves, the Germans brought in international experts to document the grave and use it as useful propaganda against the Soviet Union. Typically at the same time, the SS was setting in motion Aktion 1005 to destroy evidence of the enumerable mass graves of mostly Jews scattered all over the western Soviet Union as a result of Einsatzgruppen Aktiones. After the Red Army recoocupied the area and as with Katyn, all mention of the incident was supressed and not brought to light sgain until Ukraine emerged from Soviet cintrol. .

Führerhauptquartier Werwolf

Hitler believe in condicting the War from firward headquaters. Seceral such facilities were built. The most elaborate was in East Prussia. His easternmost headquarters Führerhauptquartier Werwolf was located near Vinnytsia. He spentseveral weeks there during 1942 and early-1943.

NAZI Einsatzgruppen Killings (July-Septmber 1941)

Before the NKVD killings were brought to light, the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa (June 22, 1941). One of the first great tank battle of history occurred in the northwestern Ukraine--the Bloody Trangle (June 1941). The German Army Group South were surprised with the armored strength they encountered in the Ukraine. It was a hege German victiry, but it delayed the German drive east in the Ukraine. The Germans about 4 weeks after launchung Barbarossa reached Vinnytsia (July 19, 1941). Some of the town Jews escaped to the east. The remaining Jewss were immediately identified and enclosed in a make-shift ghetto. This was presumably done by the Whermacht. Ghettoes in the Ukraine were different than in Poland, because the killing began immediately. Thus they were essentially temporary holding pens until the Einsatzgruppn murder squads arrived and began the killing process. The Germans began the killing a week after the town Jews were hereded into the Ghetto. They shot 146 Jews in the town (July 28). Presumbably this was an Einsatzgruppen action. We are not sure how these individuals were selected, but the mass killings did not begin until a few weeks later. We suspect that the Germans were planning how to dispose of the bodies. Sootings resumed (August). The bulk of the town; Jews were shot in pits, some 28,000 people (September 22). An iconic photograph of the action was found in a photographic album of a Einsatzgruppen officer. He wrote on the back, the 'last Jew of Vinnytsia'. The Germans temporarily spared a few adults (craftsmen, workers, and technicians) that were seen as useful. As they were not then well fed or treated, they were also shot once they sickened and were unable to work. The Aktion in Vinnytsia is similar to similar actions througout eastern Poland, the Baltics, Belarus, western Russia, and the Ukraine duting the summer and autumn of 1941 as Barbarossa rolled east.

Sources

Mackiewicz, Józef. "Klucz do "Parku Kultury i Odpoczynku" ["Keys to "Park of Culture and Leisure" The title refers to the leisure park the Soviets built over the graves after the War.] The article was published in Jacek Trznadel. Katyń. Zbrodnia bez sądu i kary [Katyn, Crime without trial nor punishment]. Zeszyty Katyńskie II ). (Warsaw: Antyk, 1st ed. 1997), pp. 329–339.

Vasiliev, Valery and Yuriy Shapoval. "Stages of 'Great Terror': The Vinnytsia Tragedy"( Zerkalo Nedeli, № 31 (406) (August 17–23, 2002),





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Created: 5:29 PM 6/17/2014
Last updated: 9:36 AM 2/1/2015