Arkhangelskoye | Stavropol

/ Rural scene in the village of Arkhangelskoye © Cristian Monterroso/Yahad-In Unum Vera U., born in 1927, was taken in the column along with her Jewish friend. A local policeman recognized her and pulled out of the column. © Cristian Monterroso - Yahad-In Unum Anna K., born in 1924: “In September, all the Jews were gathered at the central square and taken to the animal remains pit. The adults were shot and the children were poisoned and thrown into the pit.” © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Antonina V., born in 1926, pointing to the place where she saw Jewish children being poisoned © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Natalia Ch., born in 1925: “The day when Germans accompanied, by a policeman, came to take the Jews, the four Jewish boys were playing outside. They took them along with their mother and put them the column of Jews.” © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Natalia’s family souvenirs and photographs © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Yahad’s team during the interview © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum The execution site of Jewish refugees located in the middle of the modern-day village © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jewish refugees in Arkhangelskoye

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
Pit for animal remains
Memorials:
No
Period of occupation:
1942-1943
Number of victims:
48

Witness interview

Natalia C., born in 1925, remembered: “My stepmother had a big house, divided in two parts. When the war broke out, Jewish refugees came to live in our village. There was a Jewish woman with her four children who rented a room at the back of the house. One boy was four or five years old and the other boys were older – old enough to go to school. There was also one Jewish man, a professor, with his wife and mother-in-law. They didn’t have time to evacuate before the Germans’ arrival. Once the Germans came, they killed all the Jews. There were Germans and policemen who gathered the Jews. They were told to take some food with them because they were supposed to be transferred somewhere else.” (Witness n°538, interviewed in Arkhangelskoye, on August 19, 2015)

Soviet archives

“On September 06, 1942, during the mass arrest of the Jewish population, the German soldiers from the Gestapo arrested one Jewish family: two young women, Tonya and Tsypa, with their children, Rosa (5 years old) and Lena (3 years old) and their mother-in-law, age 70. I don’t know their names. On September 7, 1942, at about 9-10 am, they were taken along with others Jews to the animal remains pit. In all, there were about 40-50 people in the column. They were brought in groups to the edge of the pit and shot. “ [Deposition of A., taken by the Soviet regional commission, RG-22.002M, 7021-17/9 (district A)]

Historical note

Arkhangelskoye is located on the banks of the Kuma River, approximately 200km southeast of Stavropol. Historically home to Russians, there were no Jewish families living in the village before the war. Once the war broke out, some Jewish refugees settled in the village. According to the witnesses, the Jews lived among the villagers and worked in the kolkhoz. The Germans occupied the territory in August 1942.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

On September 1942, 48 Jews, including 21 children, were gathered at the police station and taken to the pit of animal remains. They were shot in small groups by Gestapo soldiers, helped by the local police. According to Antonina V. (Witness n°537), the children were poisoned and the adults were shot with automatic weapons. Other witnesses didn’t see the execution but they confirmed hearing about the children being poisoned.

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