October 29-30, 1937 executions in Belarus refers to a mass extermination of Belarus

Belarus

Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...

ian writers, artists and statespeople by Communist authorities. This event marks the peak of the Great Purge

Great Purge

The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...

 and repressions

Soviet repressions in Belarus

Soviet repressions in Belarus refers to cases of ungrounded criminal persecution of people in Belarus under Communist rule. This includes persecution of people for the alleged counter-revolutionary activity, as well as deportations of people to other regions of the USSR based on their social,...

 in the Soviet-controlled East Belarus

East Belarus

thumb|Coat of arms of East BelarusEast Belarus usually refers to the part of Belarus that was under Soviet occupation between 1919 and 1939, as opposed to West Belarus that was part of the Second Polish Republic in that time....

.

More than 100 notable persons have been executed on that days, most of them in the night between 29 and 30 October 1937. The innocence of most of the executed has later been admitted by the Soviets after Stalin's death.

On September 7, 1937, Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...

 has signed a List of persons to be judged by a Soviet Military commission. The list was also signed by Vyacheslav Molotov

Vyacheslav Molotov

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...

, Lazar Kaganovich

Lazar Kaganovich

Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich was a Soviet politician and administrator and one of the main associates of Joseph Stalin.-Early life:Kaganovich was born in 1893 to Jewish parents in the village of Kabany, Radomyshl uyezd, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire...

, Klim Voroshilov and Nikolay Yezhov. The results of the trials related to persons from the Belarusian SSR are formulated in a different list dated 15 September 1937 and signed by Stalin, Molotov and the senior state security official Vladimir Tsesarsky. The list of people from the Belarusian SSR sentenced to execution included 103 persons, 6 more persons have been sentenced to 10 and more years of concentration camps.

The initial list has been extended by the NKVD of the Belarusian SSR. People added to the list by the NKVD of Belarus are market with an asterisk (*) in the list below.

The executions took place in the Minsk

Minsk

- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...

 internal NKVD prison (known as the Amerikanka). A notable part of the executed people were ethnic Jews.

According to historian Leanid Marakou

Leanid Marakou

Leanid Marakou — a Belarusian journalist, writer and historian-encyclopedist.- Biography :...

, between March 3, 1937 and May 22, 1930 over 100 thousand people have become victims of repressions by the Soviet authorities.

List of executed persons

1. Barys Abukhou
2. * Mikalay Arabey, head of primary education department of the Communist Party of Byelorussia
3. Navum Aronau
4. Ihnat Afanasyeu, lecturer and pedagogue
5. * Anatol Auhustsinovich, head of construction department at the Soviet of People's Commissars (government) of Belarus of Belarus
6. Siamion Babkou
7. Heorhi Barzunou
8. * Vadzim Bashkevich, senior official at the People's Commissariate for Education
9. Salamon Beilin
10. Abram Belatsarkouski
11. * Yakau Branshteyn, literary critic
12. Ivan Burdyka, government official
13. * Viktar Vaynou, journalist
14. * Aliaksandr Varonchanka, people's commisar (minister) for education of Belarus
15. Stanislau Varshauski
16. Ryhor Vasilyeu-Vashchylin
17. Anatol Volny, artist
18. Mousha-Nokhim Habayeu
19. Apanas Habrusiou
20. * Platon Halavach, writer
21. Anton Heyshtern
22. * Iosif Hershon, deputy education minister of Belarus
23. Yakau Hinsburh
24. Abram Hosin
25. Kanstantsin Hurski
26. Nokhman Hurevich
27. * Mikalai Dzeniskevich, senior Communist Party official
28. Mikalay Dzmitrau
29. Ananiy Dziakau, president of the Belarusian State University
    Belarusian State University
    Belarusian State University , Minsk, Belarus, was founded on October 30, 1921. The BSU is a higher education establishment in the Republic of Belarus.-History:...
    
     in 1934-1935
30. Abram Drakakhrust
31. Ales Dudar, poet
32. * Khatskel Dunets, criticist and writer
33. Hirsh Elianson
34. Mikalai Yermakou
35. Ivan Zhyvutski, teacher
36. Navum Zamalin, junior professor at Vitsebsk Veterinarian Institute
37. Mikhas Zaretski, writer
38. Aliaksandr Ziankovich
39. Aliaksandr Ivanou
40. Prokhar Ispraunikau, agriculture journalist from Vitsebsk
41. * Zakhar Kavaliou, statesman, Communist Party official
42. Vasil Kaval, writer
43. * Zakhar Kavalchuk, Labour Union leader
44. * Mikalai Kandrashuk, senior official at the People's Commisariate for Light Industry of Belarus
45. Salamon Kantar
46. Mikhail Kapitanaki
47. * Jazep Karaneuski, statesman, pedagogue
48. Ivan Karpenka, veterinarian
49. Herasim Kachanau
50. Viktar Klianitski
51. Todar Kliashtorny, poet
52. Iosif Kudzelka, head of copyright department at the Union of Writers of Belarus
53. * Maisei Kulbak, Yiddish language writer
54. Aliaksei Kuchynski, statesman, pedagogue, journalist
55. * Mikhail Labadayeu, Communist Party official
56. * Leanard Lashkevich, senior agriculture official
57. Aliaksandr Levin, literature criticist
58. Salamon Levin, literature criticist
59. Pinia Leybin
60. Khaim Liaybovich
61. * Maksim Liaukou, justice minister of Belarus
62. Siamion Likhtenshteyn
63. Mikite Lukashonak
64. Yurka Liavonny, poet
65. Salamon Liampert, student
66. Elizar Mazel, veterinarian, scientist
67. * Leu Mayseeu, Communist Party of Byelorussia official
68. Barys Malau, senior official at the People's Commisariate of Trade
69. Valery Marakou
    Valery Marakou
    Valery Marakou was a Belarusian poet and translator.- Short biography :...
    
    , poet
70. Stsiapan Marhelau, geography scientist
71. Mikhail Marholin
72. * Barys Maryanau, , Communist Party of Byelorussia official
73. Pavel Maslennikau
74. Andrei Melik-Shakhnazarau
75. Abram Mirlin
76. Mikalai Misnikou
77. * Dziamyan Mikhaylau, advisor at the government of Belarus
78. Mikalay Mikheyeu
79. * Siarhei Mitskou, factory director, ministry official
80. Sierhei Murzo, poet
81. Pavel Mukhin, veterinarian
82. Yakau Navakhrest
83. Ivan Nestsiarovich
84. Ivan Padsiavalau
85. Ivan Paplyka
86. Mikhail Pasmarnik
87. * Vasil Petrushenia, transport and utilities adviser at the government of Belarus
88. Ziama Pivavarau, poet
89. Mikhail Pitomtsau
90. Apalon Pratapopau
91. * Ryhor Pratasenia, agriculture chemistry scientist
92. Izrail Purys
93. Aliaksandr Putsilouski
94. Ivan Putsintsau
95. Kuzma Piatrashyn
96. Yanka Niomanski, writer, social activist
97. Aron-Leyb Razumouski
98. Mikhail Rydzeuski, university professor
99. Aliaksandr Samakhvalau
100. Yakau Sandamirski, university professor
101. Oskar Saprytski, government official
102. Ivan Sarokash
103. Yakau Spektar, government official
104. Vasil Starynski
105. Vasil Stasheuski, writer
106. Heorhi Strele, sovkhoz
     Sovkhoz
     A sovkhoz , typically translated as state farm, is a state-owned farm. The term originated in the Soviet Union, hence the name. The term is still in use in some post-Soviet states, e.g., Russia and Belarus. It is usually contrasted with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned farm...
     
      director
107. Mikalai Suroutsau
108. Dzmitry Sialou, official at the education ministry
109. Pantsialey Siardziuk, biologist
110. Miron Tanenbaum
111. Yudal Taubin, poet
112. Ivan Trotski
113. Elia Trumpatski
114. * Andrei Turlay, People's Commissar for sovkhoz
     Sovkhoz
     A sovkhoz , typically translated as state farm, is a state-owned farm. The term originated in the Soviet Union, hence the name. The term is still in use in some post-Soviet states, e.g., Russia and Belarus. It is usually contrasted with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned farm...
     
     y of Belarus
115. Yauhen Uspenski, physicist
116. Ryhor Falkin
117. Aba Finkelshtayn
118. Yausei Flombaum
119. * Isak Frydman, government official
120. Dzmitry Kharlats
121. * Izi Kharyk, poet
122. Piatro Khatuliou, literature criticist
123. Aliaksandr Charnushevich, education minister
124. Mikalai Charniak
125. Mikhas Charot, poet
126. Kanstantsin Chachura
127. Makar Shalay, literature criticist
128. Yudal Shapira
129. Pavel Shastakou, journalist
130. * Aran Yudelson, Yiddish language poet
131. Yakau Yulkin
132. * Viktar Yarkin, official at the Dniapro-Dzvina river steamboats navigation in Homel

Sources

• Маракоў Л.
  Leanid Marakou
  Leanid Marakou — a Belarusian journalist, writer and historian-encyclopedist.- Biography :...
  
   Ахвяры і карнікі. Мн.: Зміцер Колас, 2007 г. ISBN 978-985-6783-38-6
• Грахоўскі С. «Так погибали поэты»/Выбраныя творы. Мн.: Кнігазбор, 2007 г. ISBN 985-6824-59-1

External links

• Victims' biographies on the website of the historian Leanid Marakou