Murder Story of Ovruch Jews at St. Basil's Convent

In late August - September 1941 the Ovruch ghetto inmates were taken in groups to a ravine near the walls of St. Basil's Convent, where they were shot to death. The number of victims has been estimated as between 75-83; they included 13 children. Jews from Yelsk in Belorussia were also taken to Ovruch to be shot. According to some sources the murder operation directed against the Jews of Yelsk took place in 1941-1942 at the same site where the Jews of Ovruch had been murdered. Other sources report that the victims were shot in November 1942. Recent testimonies report that the murder of Yelsk's Jews was carried out on the northern outskirts of the town, in the area of the cavalrymen's quarters. The number of victims appears to have been 120 - 125, although some Soviet reports indicate that 248 people were taken from Yelsk to Ovruch, with about 100 people being killed or dying on the way.