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[Page 249]

In 1963, I met a group of former partisans from Volyn at my friend's house. Among them was the famous “Maks” – General Józef Sobiesiak, who fought in our area. When he learned from my questions, which I gave him, that I was from Kolki, he looked at me sharply, as if with suspicion or perhaps with horror. His countenance actually changed. After a long pause, he said to me:

– I saw horrible things in my life. I had thought that there was nothing that could surprise, astonish me. You cannot even imagine what I had seen. I saw pregnant women whose stomachs were opened with knives and salt was sprinkled inside. I saw small Jewish children held by their feet and their heads were split on the trunks of trees. I saw Polish peasants from Maidan who were hanged by their hands and feet. However, I never again saw such a nest of wild wolves, such a pit of venomous snakes – one sees such only once; this I saw in your Kolki.

I only knew one among the names of the madmen that General Sobiesiak recalled. He told me about the savagery of a Ukrainian kurin^[1], about a commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a certain Konatapchuk; about the prowodnik (leader) of the Ukrainian nationalist organization in Kolki, a certain Ostapchuk and he mentioned many names of those I did not know. As it turns out, these were not from Kolki, but who, in that

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time, carried out their arbitrary actions in Kolki and threw fear throughout the entire area. Every band that felt threatened by the partisans, turned to Kolki for help. In Kolki and around the shtetl [town], there were [the following bands]: Satnias, Kurianys and the complete unification of Streltzes and Ruzhines (Kejler).

The chief thug, the “general” from UPA – [Taras] Chuprynka, once came to Kolki. Even larger cities did not have such an “honor.” It showed that before the war, Kolki had already prepared the soil for the later cadres of bandits. Only one other village in all of Volyn could compete with Kolki in this regard – that was Trosteniec.

We knew – General Sobiesiak said – that a special congress of the leaders of the Ukrainian nationalists was to take place in Trosteniec. However, the partisan groups were then still too weak to put an end to the gang of thugs. Although there was a quiet agreement between them and the Germans not to interfere with each other, the congress was prepared with the greatest security. However, we had our own people among them.

A large boulevard led from Trosteniec to the agrarian school. The building was hidden by trees. Further on were the fields and forests. From all sides, the prominent bandits came to the building. After graduating from the school, they needed to receive officer ranks. Their tables were loaded with various foods and moonshine.

Thugs from Kiwerce [Kivertsi], from Tsuman, Olik [Olyka] and even more distant cities and shtetlekh came here and sat at the table with the special group from Kolki. Red stuffed faces, ox-like necks, eyes blood-shoot from blood and whiskey; tufted hair like disdainfully thrown brooms, dressed in the uniforms of UPA, poured the swill, just as if they were reservoirs to fill. Harmonicas roared in every room and feet banged on the floors. They danced, caroused, gorged themselves like pigs at troughs.

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However, in a side room, where there once was a classroom, the windows were covered. The tables were covered with a tablecloth, on which was sewn: “Death to the enemies of Ukraine.” On the tablecloth lay knives and, slightly lower, two revolvers. All of this was to express the symbol, the trizub [trident], three wolf-like teeth, the emblem of the organization. The flag and a portrait of [Stepan] Bandera hung from the wall.

They allowed people into the room in groups of six. The first were the three from Kolki and three from Trosteniec. Among them was our acquaintance Saczkowski, whose real name was Saczka. All had previously received instructions on how they had to behave in entering this room.

On the other side of the table stood the representative of the main organization in Volyn who had especially come from Lutsk – Klaczki-Kabur [Kliaczkowski]. Near him were the representative from the central national leadership, Hrycko and two priests. One priest, a young one, represented Lutsk; the second one – Hamelna.

The six entered militarily-stiff and called out: “Slava Ukrayini [Glory to Ukraine]” and the leadership at the table answered: “Slava na viky [Glory forever].” Then the group of six called out three times: “Bandera, Bandera, Bandera!”

This was only the beginning of the ceremonial, and then occurred the following:

The younger priest, dressed in service clothing, took six knives, bent like sickles, from the other table, lay them around a deep plate and sprinkled the tips of the knives with blood from a bottle. At the same time, he said a quiet prayer and crossed the plate of knives.

Then Hrycko spoke about this in a short speech, that their task was to look for the last Jews who were still hiding in the forest and to cut their throats, sinking the knives into the hearts of every Bolshevik and cut out the “leeches.”

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The six would bend on their knees and the priest would go to each of them and, giving a half-round knife, say:

– My son! I give you the sacred knife; be bold, slaughter Jews, communists and Poles! May Ukraine rejoice!

The six answered:

– Bandera, Bandera, Bandera!

Then, the six stood up and left the room, united with the rest at the meal and guzzling.

Thus appeared the mysterious side of the sordid trade. Thus was prepared the professional murderers known as: Zeleny, Bulbawcy, Banderowcy. The messengers of murder and robbery dispersed from Kolki and Trosteniec.

So said “Maks,” the famous partisan. He described how the partisans settled accounts with the thugs, shooting their leaders, who paid for their bloody deeds with their lives. Only Soczka-Soczkowski did not submit to being caught (he lived in Canada after the war, in the city of Toronto.)

So, talking about that time, he also remembered the partisan general, a young, Jewish man from Kolki who they would call “Sieri” – this was Avraham Kerner. I also learned from the general how Avraham Kerner – the twin brother of my friend Genek – ended his life.

– On the other side of the front, four people wearing parachutes were dropped from a Soviet airplane. This happened in the area of Kostiuchnówka. They did not have anyone to meet and only individual people knew about it. In the end, an underground bunker was prepared in which a radio station was located that would provide intelligence information about the German military.

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Two people were assigned to those dropped. It was not easy to find the appropriate ones: they had to understand the German language well, had to have a “good appearance” and be completely physically healthy. This was “Sieri,” who was sent to the partisan division near Sarny, and a Ukrainian girl named Nadya. So, the two contacted that group. Their meetings would take place in the forest watchman's room. The agreed upon signal was that if a small lamp stood on the window ledge, it meant that everything was in order. The contact was maintained like that for all of 1943 without any suspicions and suddenly a misfortune occurred and it cannot be understood how this could happen. Only a few of the higher partisan leaders then knew about Krener and his work. Every step of his was conspiratorially worked out; the contact was so decentralized that no accident was possible.

But on that unfortunate day, “Sieri,” dressed like a local peasant, went to the forest room with Nadya. A call was suddenly heard from behind a bush:

– Escape, Germans.

The tiny daughter of the forest watchman, Nadja had given this warning. She succeeded in disappearing. Avraham hid the submachine gun under his coat. Understanding that he could not escape very far, he ran into the nearby barn with the decision to take a high price for his life. However, the Ukrainian security police and the Gestapo gave an order to capture him alive; they wanted to reach the source [the partisan leadership] through him.

Shooting began. The attackers tried to find him so that he would only be wounded. However, Avraham shot in an order to kill. Near the barn, the corpses of two Ukrainian fascists already lay around.

After a short deliberation, those remaining decided to set fire to the barn, then he would have to leave in an effort to save his life. However, they wondered why shots were no longer coming from the barn.

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The attackers changed their tactics at the last minute. The Germans ordered the Ukrainian slavish servants to move toward the barn from the side of the marsh that was there. However, there was no shooting. The Germans understood it in this way: “The one being attacked had no remaining bullets…” They boldly began to attack the barn. But, then, when they threw themselves into the barn with all of their momentum, they saw that “Sieri” was hanging by a rope and at his feet lay a grenade with an open igniter. The grenade did not explode. Sieri drew the noose on himself and suffocated himself with the weight of his body. The Germans did not achieve their purpose. The secrets that he knew went away to eternity with him.

Two brothers, wonderful twins with dear hearts. Gdalya Kerner fell in the battle near Kutno and Avraham Kerner breathed out his last breath outside Kostiuchnówka.

Two beautiful lives, two heroic deaths.

Edek Kaninski, a friend of mine from outside of Lodz, and I listened to the story of the famous partisan leader, “Maks,” and were quiet, as if we would, through deep silence, give respect to the two brothers who fell in battle.

Translator's footnote:

1. A kurin was a basic combat unit of 500-700 soldiers – equal to a battalion. Return

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