Tragedy in the Village of Lepetikhe

Ukraine, s. Lepetiha, February 7-9, 1944. Pupils of the Taganrog orphanage, evacuated by order of the burgomaster Akimtsev in the village of Lepetikha and held by the order of the German command in the damp basement of the vegetable base without food and heat from October 28, 1943 to February 8, 1944, were liberated by the troops of the IV Ukrainian Front. The children lived on food provided by the locals. Mocking the children, the Germans filled up the basement with stones. The nannies A.T.Bukova, M.P. Massauti and the head of the orphanage Z.M. Kiseleva took care of the children and lived with them inseparably. In a dark, damp basement, among the barrels, emaciated, thin children are sitting. Some of them eat food from pots and cans. Older children help younger ones. The nanny is dressing up a boy with a big bloated belly. The nannies wrap the children in blankets and carry them out of the basement. Near the basement, children are greeted by local women and soldiers of the Red Army. Fighters hug children, take them in their arms. Major IA Sidorenko talks with pupils Klava Belotskaya and Maya Maltseva. A woman hugs a wounded girl, Alla Urmanchevskaya. Machine gunner IN Solominov holds the boy in his arms. Fighters N.V. Mikhailov and Tsybulkin are holding children in their arms. Fighter Surin approaches A. Urmanchevskaya. Women with tags around their necks are holding children in their arms. Soldiers on a stretcher carry a wounded child. Broken icons in the snow.

B&W

Sushchinsky V.A.