The Zonal State Archives in Krichev held a themed event as part of the national «Archives for School» campaign

On November 14, 2025, as part of the national «Archives for School» campaign, Victoria Kondratenko, lead archivist at the Zonal State Archives in Krichev, together with staff from the City Library No.1 branch, participated in a thematic event, «Memory and Pain of the Residents of Krichev», dedicated to the tragic event in the Krichev District. The event was attended not only by 11th-grade students from Secondary School No.8 in Krichev, but also by the elderly.

November 14 is an important and sad date in the history of the Krichev District, associated with the tragedy that occurred in the village of Antonovka. It was an ordinary day in the village, and none of its residents could have guessed that for many of them, it would be their last. That day, the Nazis rounded up 18 Jewish villagers. The Nazis spared no one, not even a 90-year-old man, not women with infants, not even children. They herded everyone to a pit and shot them point-blank. Later, the brutal Nazis executed other villagers as well. Soon, Antonovka itself would blaze like a giant bonfire. A bloody glow lit the sky for almost a day, and all that remained of the once peaceful village were 28 smoking ruins with abandoned stove chimneys and freshly dug mass graves, where 92 villagers were laid to rest. Thus, the small village of Antonovka disappeared forever from the face of the earth.

During the meeting, a leading archivist presented historical facts and archival materials detailing the tragedy in the village of Antonovka and its consequences for the local population. The terrible tragedy of the village of Antonovka will remain in the people’s memory forever.

A poster exhibition, «Antonovka – Pain That Will Never Be Forgotten», has been prepared and presented to those present.

1-2. Victoria Kondratenko, lead archivist at the Zonal State Archives in Krichev, during the event «Memory and Pain of the Residents of Krichev».