Levokumskoye | Stavropol

/ Pyotr B. remembered a Jewish refugee, Maria, native to Moldova, who lived in their family: “She worked in the kolkhoz on the cotton fields like my mother.” © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Ivan O., born in 1927: “About 15 Jews, mostly women and one boy, who worked with me at the farm were arrested and taken to the firemen’s barracks.”© Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Raisa L., born in 1931: “The column passed by the street. They cried and screamed. Afterwards, I was told that they had been shot.” © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Ivan O. in front of the firemen’s barracks, Kommandantur, where the Jews were locked up before being taken to the shooting © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Yahad team with the witness walking in the direction of the execution site © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum Pyotr B., points out the place where he was watching the shooting from. © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum The memorial to 286 civilians, the majority of whom were Jews, murdered by Germans during WWII © Cristian Monterosso - Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jewish refugees in Levokumskoye

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
3 clay pits near the brickyards
Memorials:
Yes
Period of occupation:
1942-1943
Number of victims:
286

Witness interview

Ivan O., born in 1927, remembered: “When the Germans arrived in the village, being a son of a Soviet policeman, I was afraid of being arrested. So, I hid in the basement with about 12 Jewish refugees. Later, they were told by a neighbor to come out because the Germans promised not to touch anyone. But once they went out, the Jews were arrested and locked up in the firemen’s barracks. They remained there for some time till all the Jews were gathered. When they were brought into the barracks, they were authorized to take a bundle or some small belongings. The firemen’s barracks were guarded. Later, once all the Jews were gathered, they were taken and shot near the old brickyard.” (Witness n°531, interviewed in Levokumskoye, on August 17, 2015)

Historical note

Levokumskoye is situated about 230km southeast of Stavropol. Historically home to Russians, there were no Jewish families living in the village before the war. Once the war broke out, many Jewish refugees passed through and some of them settled down in the village as refugees. They arrived by train in Budyonovskks and from there, were transported by cart to Levokumsk. According to Pyotr B. (Witness n° 530), the refugees were first placed in the school but afterwards, they moved in with the villagers. All refugees worked in the kolkhoz, which fed them and gave them food supplies. The Germans occupied the territory in the middle of August 1942

Holocaust by bullets in figures

Through the testimonies, Yahad found that right after the Germans’ arrival, all the Jews were registered with the help of the local police. According to Pyotr B. (Witness n° 530), under the pretext of being transported, about 300 Jews were gathered at the Kommandantur, former firemen’s barracks, and were then taken to the killing site, located near the abandoned brickyard. The Aktion was conducted by Germans, helped by Romanians and local police. As was rather common in this region, the adults were shot while the children were poisoned.

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