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In June or July 1942 policemen announced that the ghetto was to be closed. Policemen and Romanians told all inmates to come to the main yard. If people couldn't walk, they were taken out with their beds. We were told to stand on the right side and on the left side. The beds with patients were on the left side, and our family stood on the right. We were taken to the Sortirovochnaya railroad station and told to board railcars for coal transportation. There were so many people that it was difficult to stand. I don't remember how long we were on the way.
When the train stopped and we got out of the railcars someone cried out, 'Have they brought niggers [African Americans]?' People fell out onto the platform black from coal dust. We saw a well and drinking-troughs for cows. We rushed to the drinking-troughs, but the policemen said, 'They are for cattle and not for zhyds [kikes]'. He told us to drink from a puddle. We drank from the puddle and the water appeared to be good to us.
In the morning we started our way through the steppe. Policemen shot those who couldn't keep up with the rest. A Romanian soldier hit me on the head with his rifle-butt. We came to Piatikhatki in Beryozovskiy district. There were trailers in the steppe where we settled down. We were to farm cornfields. Nobody took any notice of age or health conditions. There were a few prisoners of war with us. Policemen were our guards. We didn't have any food and ate corn sprouts. We were punished for picking up corn.
When the train stopped and we got out of the railcars someone cried out, 'Have they brought niggers [African Americans]?' People fell out onto the platform black from coal dust. We saw a well and drinking-troughs for cows. We rushed to the drinking-troughs, but the policemen said, 'They are for cattle and not for zhyds [kikes]'. He told us to drink from a puddle. We drank from the puddle and the water appeared to be good to us.
In the morning we started our way through the steppe. Policemen shot those who couldn't keep up with the rest. A Romanian soldier hit me on the head with his rifle-butt. We came to Piatikhatki in Beryozovskiy district. There were trailers in the steppe where we settled down. We were to farm cornfields. Nobody took any notice of age or health conditions. There were a few prisoners of war with us. Policemen were our guards. We didn't have any food and ate corn sprouts. We were punished for picking up corn.
Period
Location
Ukraine
Interview
Vladimir Goldman
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