Chetvertnya (Chetvernia, Czetwiertnia) | Volyn

/ Panas P., born in 1929, "One hand was tied by rope to the hand of another Jew and the second hand was held behind the nape of the neck." © Ellénore Gobry -Yahad-In Unum Ganna D., born in 1926, rememebre seven Jewish families livinng in Chetvertnya. One of their activities was trade.They traded flour, herring and fabric © Ellénore Gobry -Yahad-In Unum Lidia D., born in 1933, remembered there was a table with alcohol and some food near the pit © Ellénore Gobry -Yahad-In Unum Yahad team during the interview © Ellénore Gobry -Yahad-In Unum Panas P., born in 1929, leading Yahad’s team to the place where a Jew was killed. His body left there for a while and was buried by villagers afterwards © Ellénore Gobry -Yahad-In Unum The execution place of 120 Jews from Chetvertnya and nearby villages © Ellénore Gobry -Yahad-In Unum The monument to the 120 Jews murdered by Nazis. The victims were reburied at this palce after the war © Ellénore Gobry -Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jews in Chetvertnya

2 Execution site(s)

Kind of place before:
Marshy ground near the river
Memorials:
Yes
Period of occupation:
1941-1944
Number of victims:
About 120

Witness interview

Panas P., born in 1929, remembered: "There was an order to shoot all the Jews. As I told you before, while I was grazing the cows I saw them being brought in a line with their hands tied with rope on the other bank of the river. They brought them to the pit, made them undress completely, get down into the pit and lie down. Then, a German shot them one by one inside the pit. After, he went to take some rum or vodka, who knows. And that is all. " (Eyewitness N°1473, interviewed in Chetvertnya, on Maynd, 2012)

Historical note

Chetvertnya is located about 50km north of Lutsk. The first record of the Jewish community dates back to 17-18th century. The Jews suffered from several waves of pogroms carried out in 1647 and 1917. In 1931, only 23 Jews lived in the village. The majority of them were merchants or artisans.  Until 1939, Chetvertnya was under Polish rule, and then in September 1939, it was annexed to the Soviet Union as part of the Molotov Ribentrop agreement. At the time, a kolkhoz was established.  The Germans occupied the village at the end of June, 1941.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

Shortly after the Germans’ arrival the Jews were forced to wear yellow distinguishing badges on the chest and on the back and perform hard physical labor. In December 1941, all the Jews from Chetvertnya were confined to the ghetto along with the Jews from nearing villages, such as Lukiv or Rozhyshche, which existed for about ten months. According to local witnesses, the ghetto was fenced in with barbed wire. The Jewish women fit to work were subjected to farm work. The ghetto was liquidated on October 10th, 1942. On this day, all Jews from the ghetto were taken in a column to the pit dug in advance by requisitioned local residents.  Once there, the Jews were forced to undress to their underwear and get inside the pit in groups of four or fives. They had to lie down facing the ground and the shooters fire in the nape of the neck.  During this Aktion, carried out by Germans who were assisted by local police, 120 Jews native from Chetvertnya and nearby villages were slaughtered.

Nearby villages

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