Murder story of Mstislavl Jews in the Leshenski Ditch

... On September 10, 1941 the town was surrounded by the Germans. The local police drove all the Jews, regardless of age, to the market square. They lined up the men and women separately. They beat people with sticks. The Germans asked the mayor: “Why are there so few Jews?” He replied that those who had the means had left; those who lacked the means remained. All of those who were standing on the square were told to bring to the fire station within two hours butter, sugar, cacao, honey, tea, and items made of fur or they would be shot. After that those at the square were forced to indicate which of them were members of the Communist Party or the Young Communist League. Anyone who did not tell the truth would be shot. My son, Yuriy Ilich, a teacher, said that he was not a Komsomol member. One of the thugs struck him, saying that he was a member of the Komsomol, and put him to the side [to be shot]. That is the way 35 people were selected, taken away, and shot. I was witness to the cruel beating of children with sticks….