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On
September 28, the Germans posted notices in Kiev ordering the Jews
to report the next day at 8:00 a.m. to the corner of Melnik and
Dekhtyarev streets for relocation to other localities. The Germans
expected 6,000 Jews to comply; instead, 30,000 reached the assembly
point. The Germans herded the masses down Melnik Street toward the
Jewish cemetery at the edge of the city and the nearby ravine of
Babi Yar. The interior of the ravine was fenced with barbed wire and
guarded by police, soldiers of the Waffen-SS, and Ukrainian police.
As they approached the vale of death, the victims were forced to
hand over their valuables, undress, and advance in ranks of 10
toward a terrace at the edge of the valley. When they reached the
edge, they were gunned down by automatic fire and their bodies
toppled into the ravine. The squads of shooters from Sonderkommando
4a relieved one another every few hours. At the end of the day, the
bodies were covered with a thin layer of soil. On September 29-30,
according to official reports of the Einsatzgruppe, 33,771 Jews were
shot. Most of the victims were women, children, the elderly, and the
ill—those who had not been able to flee from Kiev after the
Germans invaded. The Einsatzgruppe report noted proudly that,
“owing to exceptionally clever organization,” the Jews did not
realize what awaited them until the last moment. The report added
that “there were no incidents.” |
