Mostovskoy | Krasnodar

/ Vladislav K., born in 1928: “The Germans posted a picture of a Jew with an inscription “Jews are enemies of the nation forever.” © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum Grigoriy K., born in 1933: “Jewish refugees were shot in a pit not far from the orphanage, on a slope leading to bulrushes.” © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum Yahad’s team records witness testimony near the place where three communist chiefs were buried © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum The approximate location of a mass grave where the Jews were shot. It was shown to us by a local villager. There was a monument before, but it doesn’t exist anymore. It is an impassable place next to the river. © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jews in Mostovskoy

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
Next to the river
Memorials:
No
Period of occupation:
1942-1943
Number of victims:
37 (or 70)

Witness interview

Grigoriy K., born in 1933: “My grandmother Yulia Alekseyevna Sesarchuk was hiding a Jewish woman in the cellar where we used to store the potatoes. The cellar was located in the vegetable garden. Four or five Germans also stayed in my grandmother’s at the same time. Although it was dangerous my grandmother took care of that woman, she was feeding her. I remember the Jewish woman spoke Russian. When the Germans left, she left as well and we have never seen her since.” (Witness n°752, interviewed in Mostovskoy on September 19, 2017)

Soviet archives

“On January 2, 1943, during the occupation of Mostovskoy by the German-fascist invaders, the Germans led by the kommandant Herbert F. arrested and shot Jewish families (37 people) 4km away from Mostovskoy. After the liberation of the village, the 37 people mentioned above were buried in a mass grave which is located at the execution site” [Act drawn up by the State extraordinary commission (ChGK) on May 3, 1944. RG 22.002M: 7021-16-463]

Historical note

Mostovskoy is located on the left bank of the Laba River, 30 km south of Labinsk. It was founded in 1894-1895.  According to the census in 1926 4,512 inhabitants lived in the village. In December 1936 ithe lumber factory was establsihed and the Labinsk-Mostovskoy-Shedok railway was constructed. Its construction prompted the development of local and district forestry enterprises that were engaged in the logging and processing of wood, playing important role in regional and village development. There were four kolkhozes in Mostovskoy. Nothing is known about the local Jewish community but according to the witnesses, interviewed by Yahad’s team, a lot of Jewish refugees came to Mostovskoy after the outbreak of WWII. They stayed in the houses within the locals.  They tried to retreat with the Soviet army, but were turned back by the Germans. Mostovskoy was occupied by German forces in early August, 1942.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

Soon after the occupation the Germans appointedstarosta, created local police and established kommandantur. According to the local witness the Jewish refugees were ordered to mark themselves with white arm bands bearing yellow stars. Even children had to wear them, excluding babies. Then a picture of a Jew was posted with an inscription “Jews are enemies of the nation forever”. About a month later, a new order was posted thought-out the town saying that all the Jews had to gather at the commandant’s office with their belongings for the registration. There was also a note threatening to shoot anyone who attempted to hide a Jew. The registration was conducted in two days. On the second day of the registration, all the Jews, including children, were put in long dark grey covered trucks, brought outside Mostovskoy and shot on a slope leading to bulrushes by the river. According to one of the witnesses the Germans didn’t shoot children, but smeared their lips with poison. The trucks were guarded by the Germans in grey uniforms; they were not regular soldiers, but belonged to a special unit, most probably from Einsatzgruppe C. According to the historical sources 37 Jews were killed that day, but the local witnesses stated that the number maybe higher, up to 70.  Several days later the bodies were buried by the requisitioned villagers.  

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