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1 Killing site(s)
“During the occupation I worked as a guardian at the brickyard. On Wednesday, October 12th, 1941, around 9 am, two trucks arrived on the territory of the brickyard with about twenty Germans dressed in military coats and armed with machine guns. They were accompanied by four young men from Hola Prystan who had shovels. I asked a young man why they were here. He told me that they were going to bury the poor Jews who were going to be shot. Looking at the road, I saw a scary picture, a large column of Jews, more than 100 people, including women, children and elderly people, were marching. Some held their children’s hands; others carried infants in their arms. The elderly and sick were taken by cart. This entire frightening group was coming towards the pit which had been dug in advance. When I realized that the shooting was about to start, I left. I heard bursts of gunfire and isolated shots. That day more than 110 people were murdered.” [Deposition of Yakov G. given to the State Extraordinary Commission; RG 22.002M:7021-77-409]
Hola Prystan is located 14 km south-west of Kherson. The village was founded in 1709 by the Cossacks. In 1796, 208 people lived there. In the end of the 19th century, 667 Jews lived in Hola Prystan making up 11% of the total population. In 1907, a Jewish hospital was founded in the city. At the same period there were two cemeteries, four cheders and a free Jewish school for men. At the beginning of the 20th century the local Jewish population was engaged in small-scale trade or handcraft. In the middle of the 20th century, a synagogue was open in Hola Prystan. According to the census of 1939, 276 Jews lived in the city.
Hola Prystan was occupied by the German forces on September 13th, 1941. According to the historical sources on October 12th, 1941, at least 150 Jews were gathered at the local administrative building. After they had to walk about 3 km to the brickyard situated north of Hola Prystan. There, they had to undress and were shot by the members of Einsatzgruppe D in a pit dug in advance. Besides the Jews, the Soviet activists were murdered in Hola Prystan as well.
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