Website search

THE STORY OF A MEMORIAL

After World War II and the death of 6.000.000 Jews the world was still not ready to admit the tragedy of the Jewish nation. On the territory of the USSR very few memorials were set up to the victims of the war, practically no memorials with inscriptions in Hebrew or Yiddish. The memorial erected in Sirotino, a former Jewish settlement, was an exception.

We cannot say for certain how many Jewish families resided in Sirotino before the war. The town was bombed on June 28^th 1941. Soon after the occupation the Nazis gathered all the Jewish men and sent them to do physical work. Abba Massarsky was appointed foreman. Abba realized what was going to happen to his crew when he saw they were being guarded by a German soldier. He tried to convince his workers to escape but in vain – all the men had families. Once, after being insulted by the German soldier, Abba hit him. He hit him so strongly that the man died. He buried the soldier under a bridge, took his gun and left to join the partisans. The rest of the workers did not follow. The body of the soldier was not found, so the rest of the crew were not punished.

Ruvim Massarsky was given shelter by a teacher in Dvorishe when the Nazis invaded. Later he also joined the partisan movement. He tried to save many people and brought them to his partisan detachment. After the war he set up a memorial to the executed relatives. The inscription on the memorial was in Hebrew and Russian and mentioned the exact date of the execution. The memorial does not have the names of the victims executed here. We only know some of the names.

Shmul Shames – murdered by policemen when Nazis were leaving Sirotino;

The Massarskys;

Zalman Ber Kandel with family;

The Beilensons;

Boruh Massarasky, his wife Roham and two daughters;

Sonia Rudelson;

Nahman Prosmushkin;

The Smotkins;

Abram and Masha Rumekovich.

Story by Klara MINDLINA.
“Jews of Belarus. History and culture”. 1997.

Jewish settlements in Vitebsk region

Vitebsk • Albrehtovo • Babinovichi • Baran • Bayevo • Begoml • Beshenkovichi • Bocheikovo • Bogushevsk • Borkovichi • Braslav • Bychiha • Chashniki • Disna • Dobromysli • Dokshitsy • Druya • Dubrovno • Glubokoye • Gorodok • Kamen • Kohanovo • Kolyshki • Kopys • Krasnopolie • Kublichi • Lepel • Liady • Liozno • Lukoml • Luzhki • Lyntupy • Miory • Obol • Oboltsy • Orsha • Osintorf • Ostrovno • Parafianovo • Plissa • Polotsk • Prozorki • Senno • Sharkovshina • Shumilino • Sirotino • Slaveni• Smolyany • Surazh • Tolochin • Ulla • Verhnedvinsk • Vidzy • Volyntsy • Yanovichi • Yezerishe • Zhary • Ziabki •

Main

New publications

Contacts

Site map

Vitebsk region

Mogilev region

Minsk region