Death Pit and Memorial (1997)
On 22 September 1942, the Nazis gathered the inhabitants of the Volchin Ghetto together and started them on what they said was a transfer to the nearby town of Wysokie. At the north edge of Volchin, the Germans forced the Jews to the side of the road, to the raised edge of a pre-dug pit, and shot them so they fell into the pit. There were 497 women, men and children from Volchin and the village of Chernavitsy, to the east.

Among the victims, murdered with his wife and two sons 22-9-1942, was Avraham Kupershmit, beloved leader of the Volchin Jewish community. He had been forced to serve as head of the Judenrat.

An examination of the Mass grave took place in Volchin September 1944 by the Soviet-appointed committee to investigate Nazi crimes in Volchin. The members of the committee: Chairman: Zlotovxei Vassoli Karpin, member of the Committee, medical Dr. Boris Ofanosevitz Kolobo, sub-chairman of municipality of Wysokie-Litewskie, Pmin Pilopovitz Sachari , head of school of Volchin, Anatoly Dimitrevitz Yurz'uk, Secretary of the Communist Party of Wysokie-Litewskie, Nikolai Ivanovitz Sinklo, priest of the Orthodox church in Volchin, Nikokai YakovlevitzSacharin, Delegate of the regional committee, and Ivan Trimfovitz Grushevsky.

On the border of the common grave today stands a warehouse, a storehouse, an industrial boiler, and an asphalt parking lot.

גיא ההריגה

The Hebrew denotes killing (or slaying, murdering) in a ravine (valley, gorge, glen, gulch, or coulee).

Dov Bar's Hand-Engraved Memorial Stone for his family Photo: Courtesy of Dov Bar

Left: Original Red Army Memorial at Death Pit. Photo: Courtesy of Dov Bar

Site of mass grave, looking north, memorial at left. The edge of the pit is visible at mid-left. Photo: Courtesy of Dov Bar

Reconstructed photo of post-war opening of mass grave. Reconstruction: graphic artist Yechiel Michaeli. Photo: Courtesy of Yad Vashem

Shmuel Englander saying Kaddish at memorial. Photo: Courtesy of Dov Bar

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Page Last Updated: 30-Oct-2019