Bożena Ratter: incapable to embrace the human mind, the more so the child's mind

On February 8, 1943, in the village of Dubówka, Sarny, a pop-capelan confessed to the uppers who subsequently accepted communion. After this ceremony, everyone in the two-strand knelt and raised up their weapons: rifles, pipers, shotguns, pistols, grenades, shotguns, reprimands, axers, hatchets and peaks. Pop, erstwhile he prayed, walked in the commandant's ace, blessed and sprinkled holy water held in his hands a weapon prepared for Lachiw in the colony of Pawel. After the celebration, the pop-capellan blessed them wishing them a happy expedition to Lachiw. It was scary to see. About a 100 and forty kneeling bandits holding in their hands various weapons (axons, hatchets) and walking pops waving a immense drop and a blessing execution weapon" (Antoni Przybysz: From the Tired Volyn; Wrocław 2001, p. 60).

The following day, on 9 February 1943, in the village of Parosława, the area of Sarna was “blessed” by the alleged “sacred” murdering instruments, 175 Poles “from baby in the cradle to old man at the grave.”

“In individual homes, at sixteen o’clock, the sotnica ordered all the household to lie on the floor. As people lay face-to-face on the level of the “partisans” axes, they chopped everyone's heads off. The heads of children were struck with both axes or axes. In any homes Poles did not follow orders, did not lay down on floors, then Ukrainians caught individuals and murdered cruelly. Women were cut off by breasts, noses, ears, nails, hands, legs, abdomens. The men were chopped off by their sex organs, cut off by a part of hands, hands, feet, ripped apart their stomachs, burned by burning wires, tongues, noses, ears, and salt burned for it. They chopped their heads with slices, part by piece.

In terrible torments these people are dying, and the murderers – “striłci” UPA with irony and a grin on their faces said: “Cursed Lachi, the self-righteous sons, here your Poland, you will never see her again” (Antoni Przybysz: From the tortured Volyn, Wrocław 2000, p. 63).

“Mom asked your father what they did to you? Did they beat hard? For what? My father said that they didn't mean fat, they meant guns. Mom said they'd most likely execution us, which my father didn't answer. He sat with his head down, no word. parent prayed in an undertone, asked God not to make her children orphans. After a long time, the commander came into the bedroom with a very happy face, followed by respective bandits stripped of their shirts, laughing. The commander ordered himself to lie face down on the level and there was a savage killing, chopping our heads with an axe. There were many torturers due to the fact that we were almost killed simultaneously. The murderers stayed in our home still, feasting. At the time of the murder, we heard a parent screaming, which at the angle of the eye must have seen the execution of her grandfather, grandmother, and father (his husband), as she lay next to him. After a while, she was quiet. Me and my sister – we were lying a small further distant from the cradle, with our feet to our parents' heads. After any time, I regained consciousness and heard the voice of the banners from the kitchen, walking back and forth. At the time, I heard my mom grunt. I inactive don't know why I didn't get up. I heard steps approaching the bedroom of the murderer and immediately placed myself in the same position (unless only by God's will). Then the killer opened the door, slammed the axe, stood there, closed the door, and went. Then I moved it again due to the fact that my arms hurt very much. proceeding the individual voices of the oppressors, I did not effort to get up. After a while the door opened again, the killer looked, due to the fact that no 1 was giving a signal, closed the door, and then everything went quiet. After a terrible silence, I heard the sound of creaking sleighs moving away. I waited a small longer, and then I started moving. But I couldn't get up. I was sore, numb. Then my younger sister Teresa had to regain consciousness, as she moved, groping the level with her hand. I asked, “Lilka, are you alive?” to which the sister was amazed to respond, alternatively asked, “Why should I not live?” Why are we lying on the floor?’ Then I said they told us to lie down and kill us all.

I'm hurt, everything hurts. "I think I'm hurt too, due to the fact that my hair is so glued and my head hurts." We were very cold, numb, filled with blood. Lila got up and helped me get up. The sight that our eyes saw was terrible. Not to embrace the human mind, much little the kid mind. My parents had their heads chopped in half. We have a long braid cut off. In my father's head, an ax left behind, which would mean that the moans I heard were made by the father who was struck. In the cradle of the youngest God, at the age of 1,5, she was struck with an axe to the forehead. For a long time she was in a convulsive state that threw a cradle. Lila took her hand, and after a while, Bogusia ended her life. The nose came out of the bubble – it was the brain. My sister and I had a terrible thirst for drinking. Passing through the bodies murdered in the kitchen, we fell into a pool of blood. With difficulty, very frightened then, we understood what had happened. We reached the kitchen, where it was cold – they left the door open, and the frost reached over 20°C. That's how in torment we've seen the next morning. I was hit with both axes in the back of my head. Fractured and dented skull bone, cracked front teeth. large depth and constant suffering – dizziness, heartache, terrible fears remained as a "memorial" of killing Poles. Lila was besides hit with both sides of her head. Fractured, dented skull bone. The wound couldn't heal for long. For many years she suffered from severe pain and dizziness. Broken front teeth. On the day of the murder, we were at the age of: I – 12 years old, Lila's sister – 9 years old.” (Witold Kolodyński; W. Hi. Hi.... pp. 1213 – 1219).

Witold Kolodyński's story, 1 of the reports - "WOLYŃ 1943" - four-disc publishing home of Polish Radio SA, devoted to the tragedy of the Polish population of Volyn, murdered by militants of Ukrainian nationalists in Volyn and east Małopolska in 1943-44.

https://sklep.polskieradio.pl/en/p/WOLYN-1943-4-CD/299