The righteous of the peoples of the world Nikolay Kiselev and hundreds of lives saved by him

MOSCOW. Corpus publishes Inna Gerasimova’s book, The March of Life. How to save Dolginov’s Jews. ”

At home, the exploit of Nikolai Kiselyov went unnoticed. Instead of the promised title of Hero, the commander of the partisan detachment was declared a deserter and arrested. Miraculously avoided further repression, graduated from the Academy of Foreign Trade, successfully worked in this field and preferred not to spread his merits. The Israeli Institute for the Holocaust and Heroism of the Jewish people gave him posthumous honors, conferring the title of Righteous Among the Nations for the salvation of several hundred people.

Before the war, several thousand Jews lived in the Belarusian village of Dolginovo. Most of them were shot, blown up by grenades, torn to pieces, burned by the Nazis in the ghetto created here. Only a few hundred were lucky enough to survive in this hell. Among the survivors there were many old people, families with small children. But this was not the end of their tests. They were between Scylla of Hitler’s atrocities and Charybdis of anti-Semitic sentiments of part of the villagers who were not eager to save or feed the unfortunate, driven people.

For the partisans to whom they managed to break through, their presence was also undesirable. The main reasons are the lack of food, the inability to quickly change the location and manifestations of xenophobia. The only possibility of salvation is to move to the mainland. The guerrilla commander Nikolai Kiselev agreed to take charge of the operation. Thanks to his unparalleled courage, about 220 people were saved. He managed to lead the group through the "Surazh Gate" - a 40-kilometer corridor between the armies of the Nazis "Center" and "North". Found ways to get food, heal the wounded, bypass ambushes. One of the symbols of this unique campaign was Berta Kremer and her phrase “I want to live”. The constant cry of a two-year-old girl could open the location of the fugitive squad, because her family would have to leave the camp. Kiselev reassured Bert and most of the trip carried her in his arms, giving her a chance for the future, the opportunity to grow up and give birth to her own children. The book of Inna Gerasimova is a piercing documentary narrative about the heroism and tragedy, inhuman cruelty and the miracle of salvation. The book, which for many will be a real shock.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru