Since 1997, a monument in the so-called »Ravine of Death«, the »Petrushina Ravine« close to Taganrog, has been dedicated to the city's Jews who were murdered by German SS units in October 1941.

Taganrog, May 8, 2000, Monument to victims of the Holocaust in the »Petrushina Ravine«, Nauchno-prozvetitel'sky Tsentr »Holocaust«, N. Smorodina

The German Wehrmacht occupied Taganrog on October 18, 1941, under the command of general Kleist. In the same month, SS Sonderkommando 10a (SK, special unit) and the 1st SS Panzer Division »Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler« reached the city. From then on, all the Jews had to wear an armband with a yellow star. The commander of SK 10a, Heinrich Seetzen, set October 26, 1941 as the date on which all the Jews were to be shot. Upon orders of city commander Major Averdunk, around 1,800 Jews gathered on Vladimir Square in school nr. 26, where they had to deposit their food and valuables. Afterwards, members of the SK led the Jews to the »Petrushina Ravine«, which had been closed off by the bodyguard regiment. Here, the SK 10a shot all of the city's Jewish residents.

Taganrog, May 8, 2000, Monument to victims of the Holocaust in the »Petrushina Ravine«, Nauchno-prozvetitel'sky Tsentr »Holocaust«, N. Smorodina

Members of SS Sonderkommando 10a (special unit) shot at least 1,800 Jews from Taganrog in the »Petrushina Ravine«. They murdered by families - Jewish men, women and children.

Taganrog, around 2000, Older monument to the victims of the shootings in the »Petrushina Ravine«, Nauchno-prozvetitel'sky Tsentr »Holocaust«

There are several monuments and memorial plaques in the so-called »Ravine of Death«. One of the older monuments does not mention Jews as the victim group.
On August 30, 1997, a new memorial stone was inaugurated on initiative of the Jewish community of Taganrog. The memorial stone contains two Jewish symbols: a Star of David and a menorah. It also bears an inscription that was inspired by the name of the Israeli commemoration centre Yad Vashem: »Every person has a name«.

Name

Memorial ewrejam Taganroga »Balka smerti«

Address

Petrushinskaya balka (ravine)
346842 Taganrog

Phone

+786 344 391 018

Open

The memorial is accessible at all times.