Lvov POW Camps, Ukraine

[David Thompson]

Part 1:

[David Thompson]

Part 2:

[David Thompson]

Part 3:

[David Thompson]

Part 4:

[David Thompson]

Part 5:

[David Thompson]

Part 6:

[David Thompson]

Part 7:

[michael mills]

Needless to say, the Soviet report does not mention the hurried slaughter of prisoners carried out by NKVD troops in the last week of June 1941, just before the Soviet evacuation of Lwow and other East Galician cities.

It was the discovery of the slaughter of prisoners that enraged the Ukrainian population of Lwow and led to the pogroms by them against Jews and other collaborators with the former Soviet occupiers.

Perhaps the academics listed at the beginning of the report, who were killed soon after after the German arrival in the city, had been collaborators with the Soviet occupation regime, and that is why they were killed.

[Oleg Grigoryev]

Needless to say, the Soviet report does not mention the hurried slaughter of prisoners carried out by NKVD troops in the last week of June 1941, just before the Soviet evacuation of Lwow and other East Galician cities.

It was the discovery of the slaughter of prisoners that enraged the Ukrainian population of Lwow and led to the pogroms by them against Jews and other collaborators with the former Soviet occupiers.

Perhaps the academics listed at the beginning of the report, who were killed soon after after the German arrival in the city, had been collaborators with the Soviet occupation regime, and that is why they were killed.

just like children at Belaya Cerkov' were -right mr Mills?
to thouse interested in shooting in prisons in the wake of German onslaught http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... v&start=15

[Sergey Romanov]

Those evil Judaeo-Bolshevik children! :roll:

[Alexander]

Michael Mills - you're wrong. I think you shouldn't be so one sided.

[michael mills]

Alexander wrote:

Michael Mills - you're wrong. I think you shouldn't be so one sided.

Wrong about what?

That there was a massive slaughter of prisoners held in the Lviv prisons by NKVD guards before they fled?

If the NKVD guards did not slaughter the prisoners, how did they die? Did they all commit suicide?

[Benoit Douville]

We have reports of the terrible mass killings by the Germans in Lvov posted by David Thompson. However Michaels Mills is right about the slaughter of POW in Lvov prison by the NKVD before they left in the last week of june 1941.

Regards

[Oleg Grigoryev]

We have reports of the terrible mass killings by the Germans in Lvov posted by David Thompson. However Michaels Mills is right about the slaughter of POW in Lvov prison by the NKVD before they left in the last week of june 1941.

Regards

what POWs ?

Top Secret.

To the Peoples Commissar of Internal Affairs comrade Beria.
Potential relocation of the convicts from the near-front prisons, as well newly arrested after recent prison evacuations, as well as once who would appear as a resulted of proposition to widen evacuation zone, seems to be unconsidered in the light of extreme graveness of transport situation and extreme excess of number of convicts already in the rear area prisons.

It is most urgent to allow chiefs of UNKGB and UNKVD , on case by case basis, in coordination with military command, to decide the problem of prison unloading , basing on following guidelines.

1. Only people who are still under investigation for diversionary, spy and terrorist activities are to be evacuated to the rear prisons.
2. Women with children, pregnant, underage, with exception of spies, bandits especially dangerous etc are to be freed.
3. All convicted under the orders oh Presidium of Highest Council of USSR from 6.26, 8.10. 12.28 of 1940 and 4.9 of 1941 and also people convicted for small-time domestic , government crimes and other unimportant criminal activities as well as people who currently being investigated for such and who do not considered to be socially dangerous, are to be organized for defense work in accordance to request of military command and to be freed before the time, if evacuation is called.
4. All other criminals, deserters included, are to be shot.
Awaiting your instructions
Deputy to Peoples Commissar of Internal Affairs Chernishev
Chief of Prison department Nikolskiy
July 4 1941.

From the report of Chief of Prison department of NKVD UkSSR , captain of State Security Filipov to the Deputy of Peoples commissar of Internal l Affairs Chernishev and to chief of Prison department of NKVD USSR, captain of State Security, Nikolskiy July 12 1941.

The beginning of combat actions prompted evacuation of incarcerated form Western regions prisons, in the first turn – from the prisons attacked by German armed forces, and form the remaining prisons later on.

In order to assist in organization of evacuation of incarcerated at 0.5 hors of 06/24/1941 16 high-rank officials of prison Department of NKVD UkSSR were sent in all western regions – 2 per prison.

From 0.4 hours of 6.27.41 till 7.4.41 I myself and 3 other employees of prison department were in Ternopl and Proskurov where I commanded this operation through the staff of South-Western Front – mainly asking for transport.

Lack of the later was the main handicap in the evacuation process
Despite the existing order of Fronts headquarters, military commandants of the railways station gave priority to the evacuation of wounded and other military traffic. No transport was given of evacuation of incarcerated.



The second reason for the untimely evacuation was total lack of the cooperation form local NKGB departments which grew in outright opposition to it till it was too late, and who later put all the responsibility on the local head of prison. That was especially obvious in Tranopol region.
Also they totally distanced themselves from conduct of operation of 1st category (execution – oleg) in most case leaving the job to the local prison personnel, and since they were conducted under the enemy fire and during the general retreat prison personel did not have enough time to camouflage graves more meticulously.
Region by Region situation is as follows:
Lvov Region: From the prisons of Lvov region gone by 1st category (executed –oleg) 2464, freed - 808, evacuated 201, left in prison -1546, namely: prison #1- 1366 men, #2 -66 men, #4 - 114 men - mainly convicted for household criminal acts. During the night of 23-24 of June of this year, in accordance to the order of Lvov staff all personnel of the prison – guarding company included- left the city but came back in 4 hours. In that period about 300 men escaped form the prison #1 – most of the m are common criminals. All archives and documents with exception of prisoners registration journals, and valuables registration journals are burned. The above mentioned remaining documents are in Kiev.
There were several attack by OUN on the prison in Zlochev. All attacks were repulsed by prison guards.

Dorogobich Region. By the time of Prisons Department brigade arrival in the region, for the purpose of prisoners evacuation, prison in Permishl was already evacuated due to occupation of the town by the enemy. From the words of prison chief Telnov evacuation was done on foot in two columns – 1st common criminals, 2nd all the remaining ZKs (Russian acronym fro the prisoner -oleg). First column under Telnov successfully made its way to the Sambor; second one was taken over by Germans – guarding personnel and some prisoners fought their way through and now located in Stariy
The remaining two prisons in Sambor and Stariy contained 2242 Zks. During the evacuations of these two prisons were executed 1101 men, freed 250 men, evacuated by rail 637 men, left in prison - 304 men.
On June 27th, during the Sambor Prison evacuation there wer left 80 corpses that personnel did not have time to burry and local NKGB refused to offer any assistance.
Stanislav region. From 3 prisons – Stanislav, Kolimichi, Pechnzhina, evacuated by rail total of 1376 men –in accordance with order by chief of UNKVD Mikhailov, among them were 294 convicted for criminal activities and 9 men who were sentenced to death – all former red army personnel.
Gone by 1st category – 1000 men. According to chief of Stanislav prison – they are partially buried behind the prison limits and partially on the prison territory. Freed -295 men. Due to the lack of transport 647 remained in the prison – 282 criminals, the rest convicted for household crimes and misdemeanors.
Tarnopol Region. In the Chertkoev prison there was 1300 Zks. There was enough transport for the evacuation however on the orders of local NKGB chief 800 of them were left in prison – all criminals. Thus only 500 men were evacuated. At the very last moment NKGB chief washed his hands off the responsibility the above mentioned 800 saying “do whatever you want with them”
Chie fo the prison Levchuk, organized evacuation on foot , to Kamenec-Podolskiy and then even further since he was unable to obtain needed transport there as well.
In Kremenc prison there were 360 Zks. On June 26 in accordance with chief of local NKVD prison personnel left the facility in the direction of Katrenburg form where it came several hours later. By the time they came back 191 Zk has escaped. The rest is currently evacuated to Proskurov. Riabov is removed form his position and currently is under investigation. According to data we have Zks from Kremenec are in Kharkov as of July 6.


As of 6/22/41 there were 1790 men in Tarnopol prison – out of that number 560 men are gone by 1st category. Operation was conducted by chief of UNKGB.
. 1008 Zks form Tarnopol prison is evacuated by foot Volochisk station and then by rail to Kursk. Freed 217 men, shot while trying to escape 18 men.
In Berzhani prison there were 376 Zks as of 6/28/41 –gone by 1st category 174 men. Local NKGB refused to participate and assist in any way. 8 people are freed, sent to Tranopol – 94 remaining in prison -48 and additional 51 that are to be freed.
Rovno Region. Dubno prison – gone by 1st category 230 men, freed 170 men. Sent to prison #4 (Roeno) 250 men out of which 20 were left in the various hospitals on the way due to illness.
Ostrogi prison out of 75 prisoners 5 are freed the rest remained there.
Volinsk Region
Kovel Prison gone by 1st category 195 men, freed 300 men, 45 are still in prison

[David Thompson]

Oleg -- Thank you for that translation.