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“In our minds forever” exposition to the International Day of Liberation of prisoners of facist concentration camps

On 11 April 2014 “In our minds forever” exposition dedicated to the International Day of Liberation of prisoners of facist concentration camps was hold in Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum. Annually on 11 April nations of the countries, which suffered from Nazi agression celebrate the International Day of Liberation of prisoners of facist concentration camps. This day was established by initiative of Organization of United Nations.

Concentration camps there were places of stay of big mass of people, imprisoned under guard for political, social, race, religious and other indications. Wide extend of the concentration camps was in fascist Germany. There were contained, as a rule, antifascists, first of all comunists, Social Democrats, trade unionists, and also persons, who were persecuted by race, religious, social and other reasons.

The first concentration camp in Germany was created near Dachau on March 1933. Before Second World War in the prisons and concentration camps of Germany were 300 thousands German, Austrian and Czech antifascists. In following years of Hitler's Germany at the occupied terrytor of european countries, was made giant chain of concentration camps, turned into places of organized systimatically killings of million people.

Centralized sytem of fascist camps designated for physical extermination of whole nations, firstly of slavian people; total extermination of Jews, Gipsies; for unmercifully exploitation of prisonersas manpower. There were created extermination camps, where the liquidation of prisoners was continious and with speeded up movement, where prisoners lived less than three- six mont: there was spread order about “Killing with work”.

Concentration camp Buchenwald was built near the city Weimar and started to run on 19 June 1937. During 8 years approximately 239 thousand of people were imprisoned in Buchenwald. At first there were German political prisoners, later during the Second World War, representatives of many other nationalities. Many prisoners died during the period of camp building, which was built without using any mechanical arrangements. The prisoners were racked also by the owners of big industrial companies, whose enterprises were situated at the area of Buchenwald (Simens, Junkers and other). About 10 thousands were executed in Buchenwald, including almost 8,5 thousands prisoners of war. In common in Buchenwald were excruciated 56 thousands prisoners of 18 nationalities. Especially many prisoners died in subcamp of Buchenwald Dora, where in underground lodgings were produced rocket-launchers “V-2”. The camp was situated near the city Nordhausen in Germany.

On April 1945 Buchenwald prisoners, having found out about coming of union troop, they realized armed revolt, dissarmed and captured more than 800 SS soldiers and security soldiers, they took control under the camp. Only in two days, american troop which was not far from got the camp. Having realized revolt, the prisoners of Buchenwald escaped extermination, because a day before Hitler's authority ordered about physical extermination of all the prisoners.

Besides Buchenwald and Dora, other concentration camps existed such as; Auschwitz, Majdanek, Mauthausen, Stutthof, Sachsenhausen, Treblinka. More than 11 thousands people were killed among the 18 millions of citizens of european contries, who went through camps of different assignment, including concentration camps. The system of concentration camps in Germany was cast down together with crushing defeat of Hitlerism, prejudged in the sentence of International Military Tribunal in Nurenberg as offence against humanity.

The works of artists H.S.Halkin «Discharge», N.I.Lopukhova «To the fascist drudgery», Z.Sh. Tolkachev «From the work. From the series of «Auschwitz». «In the footsteps of escape. From the series of «Auschwitz», from the Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum fund collection, first of all artist's graphical works, in black and white, which reflect all fullness of horrors, which we will keep in mind forever.

International Day of Liberation of prisoners of facist concentration camps in whole world is celebrated with memorable events, meeting with former prisoners of facism,commemoration of the dead, floral tribute to the graves and places of burial of facism victims. 

Oleksandr Otchenashko – research officer of

Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum