Stalin’s Massacres/The Ukrainian Genocide 1932-1933By: Zack Ossit

Background

•U.S.S.R. was in the beginning of a transformation period.

•Vladimir Lenin was leader of the Soviet Union

•After Lenin dies, Joseph Stalin takes power.

•Russia and the Ukraine were in a famine. Stalin decided to take Ukrainian crops and forced them to starve while he fed Russia.

Joseph Stalin

•Successor to Vladimir Lenin•Ruler of Soviet Union from 1929-1953•Born Iosif Vissioronovich Djugashvili in

Gori, Georgia 1879•Nicknamed…”The Butcher”•Murdered 3 times as more people than

Hitler•Led many smaller Genocides of Muslims,

and the expulsions of 15 million Germans from Russia

Vladimir Lenin

Location

Location continued

Russia Ukraine

Map of population loss in Russia due to labor camps.

Key People• Commissars V. Molotov-U.S.S.R ambassador • Lazar Kaganovitch-Stalin’s “right hand man”• G. Yagoda-Head of the U.S.S.R’s NKVD Police• Joseph Stalin-Leader of the U.S.S.R.

Lazar Kaganovitch

Commissars V. Molotov

G. Yagoda

Joseph Stalin

Why It Happened• Famine in Russia and the Ukraine• Stalin would rather feed Russians and Ukrainian

farmers produced almost ¼ of the food for Russia • Stalin was very scared of other communists

leaders taking power.• Stalin was paranoid of uprisings by peasants and

farmers• Stalin had a thirst for power.• He had very little acknowledgement of human life.• 1932-The genocide begins.

What Happened?• Stalin’s first move was to shut down the borders of

Ukraine• Stole all livestock and crops of farmers. “Forced

Collectivization”• Harvested all previously planted or collected food

from towns and small cities.• Set up death squads who killed “anti-party elements”

or people who were against Stalin.• 10,000 executions of Ukrainian people a week.• Labor camps in Russia set up for Ukrainian people.• Ukrainian people died of starvation, torture, and lack

of proper living conditions.

Newspaper from Chicago about the slaughter of Ukrainians

The Winter of 1932-1933

•25,000 Ukrainians died a day. (City of Auburn, New York has a population of about 26,500)

•How they died-Shot, Hypothermia, Starved to death.

•Cannibalism was common due to food shortage.

Pile of dead bodies during the winter of 1932-1933

Russian Labor Camps

KGB/NKVD

•Secret Police•Carried out crimes against Ukrainian

people and other minorities•Ran forced labor camps•Many were fire fighters, police officers

and border guards.

KGB Emblem

End Of The Genocide

•WWII ended causing more crops to be grown in Russia causing the population to be fed and more people to do common jobs in Russia.

•Stalin dies March 5, 1953 due to a stroke.•Stalin suffered the stroke on March 1st,

but medical treatment was slowed due to his reputation, causing him to suffer for four days and die a slow painful death.

•His death still remains a mystery.

Family HistoryLuba Pietska- My great grandmother, born in Kiev,

Ukraine. Family sent her to America during the massacre. She was a toddler. Never saw her family after that.

Marka Bondarenko- Married Luba, then died tragically. Had 2 twins with her. Bill (stormed Omaha beach in WWII) and Annie.

John Pawlowsky-My great grandfather from Russia, married Luba. Had 3 kids Alec, Alice (my grandmother), stationed in the Russian Army on the Manchurian Border. Came to America by hiding on a boat and hopped the border from Canada.

Family History continued

•Alice married Charles Ossit (my grandfather) but died of cancer after having 4 children Steven, Kevin, J. John and Christopher (both died days after they were born)

•Kevin married Sheila DeForest and they had 3 kids Zachary, Nathaniel, and Margaret.