Shurra navigated back to the small village. It was difficult but she was happy that she had met the challenge of the long haul from St. Petersburg. This good feeling was short lived, as her next task was to inform the elderly woman that her kind husband was dead.
The poor woman took the news hard but remained stoic. It was almost anticipated, given the times they were living in. She did not want to be alone and she transferred her worries to the children, insisting that they move in with her and so they did. Food was still short as the Germans billeted in the village had sorted through everything and taken all the available food they could find.
The surreal conditions at that time and place are hard to relate to. The Fascists gave no consideration to the Russian civilians. They would take all the food and livestock, leaving the villagers to starve, and then laugh at Russian women carving up an old skinny dead horse with butcher knives.
Anyway, the children were warm, reasonably fed, and had time to rest. They were all underweight and sickly, but this was as good as it had been for a long, long time. They were grateful for the easy living, but like all good things, it wasn’t to last.
39. The Depths of Hell
Partisan activity had continued unabated against the Germans so their high command ordered a new tack. The Fascists came in force to the village, burned it to the ground, and marched off all the inhabitants.
During the march there were several detours to other villages, which were in turn wiped off the face of the earth. Dead bodies of the old and weak marked the route. It was easier to gun down the laggards than to keep them moving. The children arrived at a train station without the slow-walking kind old woman. The SS detachment herded the prisoners into crowded cattle cars with German efficiency and the doors were locked shut. They had no food or water and not even enough room to sit down. It was difficult to differentiate between the living, the dying, and the dead.
Prisoners emptied their bowels and bladders in their own clothes. Of course, everybody on the train understood that they should not be ashamed of that. The Fascists’ goal was not only to kill or imprison Russian people but also to deprive them of their dignity. Therefore, people kept their minds strong and their attitude positive to whatever was going to happen to them. The prisoners were harboring wrath in their hearts, hoping for the opportunity to fight back against the Fascist one day.
For the children it was difficult to have dead bodies close and even touching them. Shurra and Ivan were not as frightened as the others; they had experience enough in St. Petersburg where they saw the dead all around them. Shurra told the other children that they should not be afraid. “They are only dead people. They cannot move and they cannot hurt you. They were good people when they were alive. Now, we have to pay our respect to them. Be calm and stay quiet.”
None of them could say how long they traveled on this journey to the camp. It was as if no one understood time anymore. People under this kind of strain think differently. Time and space were surrealistic concepts. They did not feel human but they did not yet feel like animals, as they still had their dignity. The train carried them to their new home, a concentration camp. After a few months they were moved by train again all the way to Germany. Even here they were moved several times to different camps.
Hitler regarded the Slavs, principally the Poles and the Russians, as subhuman and his policies were unconscionable. These people were to be subjected to incessant decimation and to be used as a pool of cheap labor, which is to say, slavery. The policy in the occupied portions of the Soviet Union was for the population to be indiscriminately subjected to German dominance and to be economically exploited without compassion. The few who might survive could spend their old age living in miserable hovels tucked in undesirable areas of the distant countryside. Hitler’s policy was well known to all his troops on the Western Front. This policy was possible because the Third Reich was very confident that it would win this war and they had no fear of any future retaliation for their inhumane acts. Their atrocious activity revealed their arrogance. Russians knew of Hitler’s slavery policy and it explains their attitude of win or die fighting.
Many memories of the concentration camps were lost in Shurra’s brain, including the first week and her separation from Ivan and Galena. She remembered working in the guard’s kitchen, plucking chickens, cleaning floors, and collecting garbage to feed the pigs, occasionally stealing scraps and hiding them in her bosom. The stolen table slops were edible and for the first time in years she could fill her stomach. A group of women prisoners would steal food and, one at a time, they would eat while others covered them and acted as lookouts. Stealing food was a death sentence and the Fascists were always checking everything, with unexpected roll calls and searches. It was quickly obvious to the newly incarcerated that the prisoners had to help each other when they could or they would die. A prisoner with no friends could not survive.
Shurra found out that Galena was in a special barracks for young children, which also housed a few young mothers to watch the kids. A wire fence isolated it and Shurra could not gain access. Almost every night she would break the strict camp rules. She would go to the barbed-wire fence next to the children’s barracks and throw a bit of hard bread or a potato over the fence to one these women. She asked the women to give Galena extra food, after keeping some of it for themselves. They would usually open the door so Shurra could watch Galena stand and wave while eating. Occasionally, the hungry young mothers kept all of it for themselves.
Ivan’s location was more difficult to unveil. Finally, an older prisoner informed Shurra that he was involved in medical experiments in another barracks. The rumors were horrifying; usually children died as a result and the few who survived might be better off dead.
World events and battlefield strategies were unknown to the three prisoners, even though the outcome would drastically affect their lives. The German defeat at Stalingrad on the Volga River in the late fall of 1942, marked the beginning of the end and the Wehrmacht was never again able to mount an offense promising total victory. The confident Red Army started moving westward in the winter of 1942-43 killing and capturing hundreds of thousands of German troops. The advance continued along the 3,200-kilometer front (2,000 miles) as the determined Soviet Forces overcame their old enemy. It was July of 1943 that the Wehrmacht opened their third and last summer offensive. This Battle of Kursk developed into the largest tank battle in history and the German’s decisive loss opened the door for the future Russian offensives in 1944 and 1945. The Red Army had finally gained superiority in arms, men, and leadership.
The Soviets went on to liberate most of the Ukraine in the autumn of 1943. The following January, a long bloody battle finally brought the end to the siege of St. Petersburg.
According to local rumors circulating in 1944, the Russian Red Army was moving close to the concentration camp housing Shurra, Ivan, and Galena. The Nazis felt an urgency to camouflage certain deeds and to create credibility for denial. They particularly wanted to get rid of the children and to destroy evidence. Since they received no money for killing them, some guards would sell a few to a friend and make a profit on the side. There is little or no evidence of turning the prisoners into personal slaves; however, Shurra and Ivan both insist that it happened.
A young Fascist who owned a farm paid cash to buy Shurra. Shurra asked that he take her niece and brother but he refused. She dropped to her knees and begged, “Please, Oh, please take them!” The answer remained No. She cried and kissed his boots, saying, “Please. I will do anything!”
Finally he said, “Anything? Okay, I will take them, but I will not feed them!”
“They can eat from my share of food.”
“You are too skinny now. How can you share your food?”
“I will. I will.” Finally, all three children obtained permission to enter the car and they departed.
A mental image of the black, shiny high boots with the smell of leather and polish was burned into Shurra’s brain,
and the shame of this humiliation regularly returned as nightmares.
The situation in the camp was to kill all children who hadn’t been sold. If the alternative is death, then maybe it was lucky for a cruel Fascist to buy you-but maybe not. It was a long trip to the farm. Most probably this was a confiscated Polish farm and the original owners were now dead. The Fascist changed from a uniform to civilian clothes but he kept on the high black shiny boots that German Officers wear. When they arrived at the farm, the Fascist yelled for his wife to watch the kids and he left.
The wife, named Vanda, asked, “Are you Russian? Do you know farm work?” and other questions to get to know them. Vanda, who was young and still had no children, proved to be a sympathetic ally to the children.
Galena walked toward the farm buildings looking in awe at the new sights. When the husband returned he saw Galena near a bin of small cooked potatoes which were pig food. Galena reached for a small potato and the farmer swore as he ran to her, grabbed her, and beat her with a riding whip. The screams brought Vanda, followed by Shurra and Ivan. Vanda jumped on him and made him stop. Galena quit crying and lay down quietly on the ground with a bloody back. The man left and Vanda carried the little one into the house and laid her in a spare bed. Galena developed scars on her back and she carried them to her grave.
Ivan was too sick to work, so the clever Vanda told her husband she needed Ivan to help her in the house. Possibly the young Fascists worked nearby; at any rate, he frequently was absent from the farm. The husband and wife were completely different. Vanda made a deal with Ivan, “You will not work or do anything except when my husband comes. Just eat, sleep, and get healthy.”
A few days later, Galena found a stock of herring. She stole one and put the head under her armpit. Vanda noticed the body and tail of the herring sticking out and said, “Galena, why do you have that herring under your arm?”
Galena seemed surprised that Vanda could see the fish. The small girl then confessed, “I am hiding it so I can have something to eat later on.”
“But why is the head under your armpit?”
Galena silently stared at the ground. It took some patience but Vanda slowly pulled out the story. Galena knew from hard experience to hide any excess food and she reasoned that if the eyes of the herring were hidden then no one could see it and take it away from her. Vanda had a hard time convincing Galena that those days were now behind her.
Vanda tried to protect the three youngsters. There were other workers for the heavy jobs so Shurra could do just the light work. One of these farm workers was a Ukrainian named Misha. He was also an unpaid farm slave. He understood some of what Shurra had endured and was always sympathetic and helpful to her. Shurra was shy and afraid but she gradually started to accept his presence. He was nine years older than her 17 years and he could make her laugh and forget the nightmares. It was obvious that he was strongly attracted to the young girl.
Misha had been taken to fight the Fascists. Authorities just thrust Misha and many others into the heavy fighting without wasting time on the luxury of basic training. A Wehrmacht dive-bomber attack nearly finished him off. A bomb landed very close to him and the shock wave knocked him down. He was unconscious, bleeding from his nose and several minor shrapnel wounds. When Misha regained consciousness he was a prisoner of war. For a long time he was deaf and had trouble thinking and remembering. Time slowly healed him but the headaches remained forever. Physically, he was strong and healthy and he knew farm work so after a few months he was assigned to this farm for the duration of the war.
They had only been there a few months in late 1944 or early 1945 when Vanda told Shurra, “The Red Army is moving toward us and my husband is going to sell you.” The girl had mixed emotions about the news. She did not want to risk separation from the other two but this had been the worst time in her young life. The farmer was brutal, a heavy drinker, and often sexually abused young captive females.
40. The Redemption
Shurra found her liberation through an ugly old man who mysteriously appeared on the farm one day. Ottar, who was in his 60s, was trading his farm’s food for expensive furniture, fancy knickknacks, and any other valuable items. He had a productive farm in Latvia and during the off-season Ottar indulged in his love of trading, which in previous years had yielded a nice profit.
Ottar had the instincts of a natural born horse trader and while talking with the owner he was quick to understand the situation. He knew the Red Army was close and he learned that the farm owner was a Fascist and had to leave. The Fascist mentioned he wanted to get rid of the children and that he would sell them. Ottar instantly liked Shurra and said he would buy her and would take the other two at no cost. Therefore, they struck a deal.
Ottar approached Shurra and tried to explain the situation. The suspicious young girl was hesitant in accepting him. “Don’t be afraid. I mean you no harm. I have a good farm in Latvia and it is an ideal place for you three to hide out and rest up.”
Before they left, an anxious Misha came up to Shurra. With a serious look he informed her, “I love you. I want to marry you. I will find you in Latvia after the war no matter how long it takes. Wait for me.”
Shurra shyly answered, “Do you think you’ll be able to find me? If you really want me, I will wait for you.”
Misha answered confidently, “If I can survive all this mess, I will definitely find you. Remember, I love you. Don’t forget me!”
Ottar called out to her and they left in his truck for the long trip to his farm. Shurra took a long backward look at the man she had never kissed but had promised herself to. It was in the mid-1940s when they parted and there would be many years and many battles before they would meet again.
This small group of travelers did not enjoy an easy journey. The trip was long and arduous and the trader lost almost everything after soldiers “borrowed” his truck at gunpoint. Finally, there were only the four of them in a hard old cart without springs on a rough dirt road. The sharp bounces bothered them all but it seemed particularly hard on Ivan. He was holding his chest and had a grimace on his young face. Finally, he cried out, “I can’t breathe, please stop the cart!”
Ottar said, “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?” Ivan pointed to his lungs. “Ahh, I see. You must eat fat or your lungs will not be able to stand this bouncing wagon. You are too skinny and you’ve had too much bad food.” According to folk medicine, drinking warm dog fat could alleviate or even cure tuberculosis. Ottar might have been referring to this old remedy. People are still around who swear it works although it sounds a bit bizarre.
Ivan could not speak and he looked scared. As the pain subsided, Ivan started to groan and then he passed out. They laid him down by the side of the road and tried to make him comfortable. When he woke up he started to explain. Medical doctors were doing some experiments on lung disease in the concentration camp. Ivan received an inoculation for lung disease and it caused an infection in his lungs. Ottar said he would put him into a hospital to cure him just as soon as they arrived at his farm.
Ottar’s old wife started to scold him the minute they arrived. “Why are you bringing home these weak hungry kids? We are short on food. You are a crazy old man. Get rid of them!”
The gentle trader tried to calm her. “No problem. Even though I lost the truck and some furniture I managed to keep the jewelry so we have plenty of money. We have enough to feed the kids. Shurra will be good cheap labor and the other two will pay their own way after they get older and healthier.”
The mean-spirited woman was not kind to the children but she obeyed her husband and because he had compassion for them, their life was relatively good. They had a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, and no one was shooting at them. As promised, Ottar took Ivan to the hospital, but a cure was not possible.
One day Ottar said to his wife, “Look, the war is coming to an end and the Russian Communists will rule here again. If they ask us why we fed Germans and not Russians, it will not
go well for us. Best to be able to say, we took good care of these Russian kids.” The logic was inescapable and from that day on Ottar’s wife treated the kids very well.
With its forests of pine, spruce, and birch, well-tended fields, numerous lakes, and rich fisheries, Latvia made an excellent home for the three young refugees as they fought to overcome the lingering effects of their hard experiences.
Victorious Soviet forces moved into Finland, Romania, and Poland during the summer of 1944. The offensive was timed to assist the Anglo-American invasion of France. “It is the Russian Army,” said Churchill on August 2, 1944, “that has done the main work of tearing the guts out of the German Army.”
After liberating the Baltic and reaching Budapest, the Red Army opened their final offensive in central Poland in mid-January 1945. The end came in Berlin and on the Elbe, with the demise of the Nazi Reich on May 8, 1945.
As anticipated, the Red Power returned to Latvia. Ottar’s wife died of a broken heart when they lost their farm. It was to become part of a large collective state-run farm. Ottar and the three kids moved to his two-story house in Tukums. The kindly old trader genuinely loved the kids and they loved him back. He was like a wonderful grandfather who solved their problems and provided for them.
Aunt Shurra in Latvia, late 1940s.
Cousin Galena with Shurra’s son, about 1958.
Ivan, Galena and Shurra, Latvia 1953.
A group picture of the three survivors taken in 1954 Latvia does not reveal a hint of their horrible ordeal. Galena is a young beauty as her pictures testify. Ivan appears handsome. However, the three sisters Vera, Mareika, and Shurra evidently were not especially photogenic. Although they all were real beauties their photos do not reflect that. Marieka, for one, seldom saw a picture of herself that she liked. All three sisters had fair skin, curly blond hair, and striking blue eyes. Their facial features were quite similar.
My Russian Family Page 30