In October 1937, there was a mass extermination of Belarusian writers, artists and statespeople by the Soviet Union occupying authorities. This event marked the peak of the Great Purge and repressions of Belarusians in the Soviet-controlled area of eastern Belarus.
More than 100 notable persons were executed, most of them starting on 29 October 1937 and continuing into the next morning. Their innocence was later admitted by the Soviet Union after Joseph Stalin's death.
It is known in Belarus as the Night of the Murdered Poets, or the Night of the Executed Poets (ÃÂþàÃÂðÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂðûÃÂýÃÂÃÂ
ÿðÃÂÃÂðÃÂ).
History
On 7 September 1937 Joseph Stalin signed a list of persons to be judged by a Soviet Military commission. The list was also signed by Vyacheslav Molotov, Lazar Kaganovich, Klim Voroshilov and Nikolay Yezhov. There were trials related to persons from the Belarusian SSR and these were given 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 be executed included 103 persons, and six more persons who were sentenced to ten or more years in concentration camps.
The initial list was extended by the NKVD of the Belarusian SSR. People added to the list by the NKVD of Belarus are marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below. The executions took place in the Minsk internal NKVD prison (known as the Amerikanka). Journalist Leanid MarakoÃ
 alleged that between 3 March 1937 and 22 May 1938, over 100,000 people fell victims of repressions by the Soviet authorities.
List of executed persons
- Barys AbuchoÃ
Â
- MikaÃ
Âaj Arabej, head of primary education department of the Communist Party of Byelorussia
- Navum AronaÃ
Â
- Ihnat AfanaÃ
ÂjeÃ
Â, lecturer and pedagogue
- Anatol AÃ
ÂhusÃÂinoviÃÂ, head of construction department at the Soviet of People's Commissars (government) of Belarus
- Siamion BabkoÃ
Â
- Hieorhi BarzunoÃ
Â
- Vadzim BaÃ
¡kieviÃÂ, senior official at the People's Commissariate for Education
- SaÃ
Âamon Bejlin
- Abram BieÃ
ÂacarkoÃ
Âski
- JakaÃ
 BranÃ
¡tejn, literary critic
- Ivan Burdyka, government official
- Viktar VajnoÃ
Â, journalist
- Alaksandar VaronÃÂanka, people's commissar (minister) for education of Belarus
- StanisÃ
ÂaÃ
 VarÃ
¡aÃ
Âski
- Ryhor VasiljeÃ
Â-VaÃ
¡ÃÂylin
- Anatol Volny, artist
- MoÃ
ÂÃ
¡a-Nochim HabajeÃ
Â
- Apanas HabrusioÃ
Â
- PÃ
Âaton HaÃ
ÂavaÃÂ, writer
- Anton HejÃ
¡tern
- Josif HerÃ
¡on, deputy education minister of Belarus
- JakaÃ
 Hinzburh
- Abram Hosin
- Kanstancin Hurski
- Nochman HureviÃÂ
- MikaÃ
Âaj DzieniskieviÃÂ, senior Communist Party official
- MikaÃ
Âaj DÃ
ºmitraÃ
Â
- Anani DziakaÃ
Â, president of the Belarusian State University in 1934-1935
- Abram Drakachrust
- AleÃ
 Dudar, poet
- Chackiel Duniec, critic and writer
- HirÃ
¡ Jelanson
- MikaÃ
Âaj JermakoÃ
Â
- Ivan Ã
½yvucki, teacher
- Navum Zamalin, junior professor at Vitsebsk Veterinarian Institute
- MichaÃ
 Zarecki, writer
- Alaksandar ZiankoviÃÂ
- Alaksandar IvanoÃ
Â
- Prochar IspraÃ
ÂnikaÃ
Â, agriculture journalist from Vitsebsk
- Zachar KavaloÃ
Â, statesman, Communist Party official
- Vasil Kaval, writer
- Zachar KavalÃÂuk, Labour Union leader
- MikaÃ
Âaj KandraÃ
¡uk, senior official at the People's Commisariate for Light Industry of Belarus
- SaÃ
Âamon Kantar
- MichaiÃ
 Kapitanaki
- Jazep KaranieÃ
Âski, statesman, pedagogue
- Ivan Karpienka, veterinarian
- Hierasim KaÃÂanaÃ
Â
- Viktar Klanicki
- Todar KlaÃ
¡torny, poet
- Josif Kudzielka, head of copyright department at the Union of Writers of Belarus
- Moyshe Kulbak, Yiddish language writer
- Alaksiej KuÃÂynski, statesman, pedagogue, journalist
- MichaiÃ
 Ã
ÂabadajeÃ
Â, Communist Party official
- Leanard Ã
ÂaÃ
¡kieviÃÂ, senior agriculture official
- Alaksandar Levin, literature critic
- SaÃ
Âamon Levin, literature critic
- Pinia Lejbin
- Chaim LajboviÃÂ
- Maksim LaÃ
ÂkoÃ
Â, justice minister of Belarus
- Siamion LichtenÃ
¡tejn
- Mikita Ã
ÂukaÃ
¡onak
- Jurka Lavonny, poet
- SaÃ
Âamon Lampiert, student
- Elizar Maziel, veterinarian, scientist
- LeÃ
 MajsiejeÃ
Â, Communist Party of Byelorussia official
- Barys MaÃ
ÂaÃ
Â, senior official at the People's Commisariate of Trade
- Valery MarakoÃ
Â, poet
- Sciapan MarhieÃ
ÂaÃ
Â, geography scientist
- MichaiÃ
 Marholin
- Barys MarjanaÃ
Â, Communist Party of Byelorussia official
- PavaÃ
 MasleÃ
ÂnikaÃ
Â
- Andrej Mielik-Ã
 achnazaraÃ
Â
- Abram Mirlin
- Mikalai Misnikou
- Dziamyan Mikhaylau, advisor at the government of Belarus
- MikaÃ
Âaj MichiejeÃ
Â
- Siarhiej MiÃÂkoÃ
Â, factory director, ministry official
- Siarhiej Murzo, poet
- PavaÃ
 Muchin, veterinarian
- JakaÃ
 Navachrest
- Ivan NieÃ
ÂciaroviÃÂ
- Ivan PadsiavaÃ
ÂaÃ
Â
- Ivan PapÃ
Âyka
- MichaiÃ
 Pasmarnik
- Vasil PietruÃ
¡enia, transport and utilities adviser at the government of Belarus
- Ziama PivavaraÃ
Â, poet
- MichaiÃ
 PitomcaÃ
Â
- ApaÃ
Âon PratapopaÃ
Â
- Ryhor Pratasienia, agriculture chemistry scientist
- Izrail Purys
- Alaksandar PuciÃ
ÂoÃ
Âski
- Ivan PucincaÃ
Â
- KuÃ
ºma PiatraÃ
¡yn
- Janka Niomanski, writer, social activist
- Aron-Lejb RazumoÃ
Âski
- MichaiÃ
 RydzieÃ
Âski, university professor
- Alaksandar SamachvaÃ
ÂaÃ
Â
- JakaÃ
 Sandamirski, university professor
- Oskar Saprycki, government official
- Ivan SarokaÃ
¡
- JakaÃ
 Spiektar, government official
- Vasil Starynski
- Vasil StaÃ
¡eÃ
Âski, writer
- Hieorhi Strele, sovkhoz director
- MikaÃ
Âaj SuroÃ
ÂcaÃ
Â
- DÃ
ºmitry SiaÃ
ÂoÃ
Â, official at the education ministry
- Pancialej Siardziuk, biologist
- Miron Tanienbaum
- Julij TaÃ
Âbin, poet
- Ivan Trocki
- Ela Trumpacki
- Andrej TurÃ
Âaj, People's Commissar for sovkhozy of Belarus
- JaÃ
Âhien UÃ
Âpienski, physicist
- Ryhor FaÃ
Âkin
- Aba FinkielÃ
¡tajn
- JaÃ
Âsiej FÃ
ÂombaÃ
Âm
- Isak Frydman, government official
- DÃ
ºmitry CharÃ
Âac
- Izi Charyk, poet
- Piatro ChatuloÃ
Â, literature critic
- Alaksandar ÃÂarnuÃ
¡eviÃÂ, education minister
- MikaÃ
Âaj ÃÂarniak
- MichaÃ
 ÃÂarot, poet
- Kanstancin ÃÂaÃÂura
- Makar Ã
 aÃ
Âaj, literature critic
- Judal Ã
 apira
- PavaÃ
 Ã
 astakoÃ
Â, journalist
- Aran Judelson, Yiddish language poet
- JakaÃ
 Julkin
- Viktar Jarkin, official at the Dniapro-Dzvina river steamboats navigation in Homel
References
Sources
- ÃÂðÃÂðúþàÃÂ. ÃÂÃÂ
òÃÂÃÂààúðÃÂýÃÂúÃÂ. ÃÂý.: ÃÂüÃÂÃÂõàÃÂþûðÃÂ, 2007 ó.
- ÃÂÃÂðÃÂ
þÃÂÃÂúàá. ëâðú ÿþóøñðûø ÿþÃÂÃÂÃÂû/ÃÂÃÂñÃÂðýÃÂàÃÂòþÃÂÃÂ. ÃÂý.: ÃÂýÃÂóð÷ñþÃÂ, 2007 ó.
See also
External links