Ольга Попадин

“…the trade itself existed. People lined up since evening to buy something in shop in the morning. They even didn’t know what would happen to buy – at first they were buying everything which has been selling. Then all private shops were closed – and we saw for the first time those “groceries” and “”gastronomies. Then they started providing sugar to Western Ukraine. In that time people didn’t believe that they would get sugar while lined up for it. There were queues for that sugar. In some time, right before my arrest, wheaten buns appeared – before there was only dark bread. Several shops were selling textiles. People lined up for textiles and also didn’t know what they would get. People bought 10 meters of textile. They bought everything that was in shop whether or not they needed it…”

“… and that moment the bomb fell down in the opposite side of Brygidky prison. When the bomb fell down, we were already sure that the war had started. In Monday we woke up in the morning and there were nobody around. The workers which had been working there (in prison), those criminals, broke the doors and said: “Go out!”. We where only in the slips. Moreover, in such slips that were hard to go outside. We rushed to cloak-room to take our things. While we were looking for our things, while we took everything , the fire started on. Bolsheviks came back and started fire. There were some men who had run out at once to go home. And they were shot right near the gate. They started fire on us. Several bullets got into our cell. We all went to the corridor. But from the corridor we heard soldiers that were going upstairs and we went back to our cell, exactly in ward. The soldiers came in, they were not from NKVD: “Who had planned to escape?”. Nobody. After them in one hour enkavedists came. In that time they already were near Krasne. From that place they were turned back to Lviv. Maybe, if they were not turned back, people would stay alive. But they started then execution …”

- “In 1940-th the deportation of the people has started, as well as arrests, which had started earlier. At first among arrested there were more Poles and less Ukrainians. But beginning from the summer 1940-th numerous arrests of Ukrainians started (were superior in number to other peoples). Moreover firstly were arrested those people who were suspected to be members of OUN (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists). Then everybody who had said something against or criticized (soviet régime) could be arrested and judged for agitation or propaganda. Once we were awakened at night and my father was taken as a witness. - When did they come? - It was at night. Father has gone with them and then came back and told to brother-in-law to go to his sister and warn her because she also should be deported. Brother-in-law went to New Znesinnja. He said: “You will be deported soon!”. They could run away or hide somewhere because in that time it wasn’t so that everybody was registered. But his sister answered: “We will not move. Our neighbors begged to be allowed to stay”. They were deported then. My father new about it from policeman who told to warn his brother-in-law about his sister. Then all ex-policemen were arrested and after three day their families were deported…”

-“ In September 1949-th I was arrested…” - Where has it happened? - In our house. They came at night… - At night? - Yes, at night – they did everything at night. Even the car stopped not near our house but on the corner of Staroznesenjsjka street, near the spring. They leaved the car there. The four of them has come. - How did they look like? - They were dressed as if they were civilian. One of them was elder. One was the chief of local investigative authorities – Pemonov. - Pemonov? - Yes, Pemonov. Except of him there were three others. One of them was elder as I remember. They tried not to speak Ukrainian – but all of them new Ukrainian. They awakened us, my father stood up. Then they asked me: “Are you Olja?” I said: “Yes, I am”. They said: “Get up. We want to speak with you”. They didn’t make any search. My sister cleaned up before and put some things on the table. So they looked on this more or less and took something from the table. What they thought to be suspect they took with them. But they didn’t make a full search in house, they even didn’t have search warrant. They told me: “Dress on! You will go with us”. I asked: “Could I take something with me?” “Yes”. So I took some underwear…Only one of them, who was elder, looked at me that I was so young… - And how old have you been? - 17. But I was skinny, so looked few years younger”.