Murder Story of Olevsk Jews at the Rise above the Ubort River

On November 19, 1941 the Sich (the Ukrainian People's Revolutionary Army Battalion), together with local policemen, surrounded the ghetto area and announced a second registration of the Jewish population on the pretext of their relocation. Those who were sick or old and unable to walk on their own were shot on the spot in the street. The rest of the Jews were taken to a barn located near the premises of the Olevsk gendarmerie. On the following day the Jews were forced to walk, or were driven, from the barn towards Varvarovka village, located 3-4 kilometers from the town. They were taken to a rise above the Ubort' River, 500 meters from Varvarovka. There policemen and, apparently, members of the Sich Battalion, forced the victims to strip to their underwear. The Jews were shot from short range at the edge of two large pits located about two meters apart. Some of the victims were thrown into the pit while still alive. According to different sources, the total number of Jews murdered in Olevsk ranged from 535 to 825. Some testimonies date the murder operation to November 15 or November 19, 1941.