Aleksandr Rosenblyum’s list of Borisov GULAG victims

August 10th, 2010

The subject of this post is profoundly tragic, and will be read by many with heavy hearts.

Borisov's "public security" building, called "the beginning of the road to the Gulag" by Rosenblyum.  Victims arrested on fabricated charged were brought to the basement: "At night, in this evil building, electricity was always burning

Borisov's "public security" building, called "the beginning of the road to the Gulag" by Rosenblyum. Victims arrested on fabricated charges were brought to its basement: "At night, in this evil building, electricity was always burning as interrogations and beatings went on."

Yesterday, I discovered that Aleksandr Rosenblyum, whose website I wrote about in my last post, had compiled a list of Borisov Jewish victims of the Gulag, beginning with Stalin’s Great Terror of 1937-8.

This morning, I found an email in my inbox: overnight, Leon Kull had generously transliterated the names from Cyrillic so that English-speaking readers doing geneological research can check here for relatives.  I’ve posted Leon’s translated list at the end of this article, below.

Rosenblyum’s webpage provides a paragraph of information about each person: occupation, the invented charges against them, and their fate (e. g. “sentenced for so many years,” “shot”).  Some entries include photographs of the victim.

For example, one victim in the list is named Boris Bobrov – the same name as my own grandfather, but born a decade later.  In fact, I had found Rosenblyum’s list as I was searching the web for information about my grandfather’s family.  I was startled and shaken to suddenly come upon the following entry (my translation from the Russian):

“BOBROV Shmuel-Ber (Boris Yakovlevich).  Born in 1894 in Borisov.  Managed the insurance fund of the Industrial Cooperative.  Accused of belonging to the Polish intelligence service and sentenced to capital punishment by a “special troika” [extra-judicial local sentencing body during the Great Terror*].  He was shot October 1, 1938.”

(*The “troika” was made up of head of the local secret police, the local Party secretary, and the prosecutor.)

So this Boris Bobrov, quite likely a relative of mine, once lived a routine life managing an insurance fund.  And then everything changed.  He faced false accusation and terror.  He was arrested, “tried,” and shot to death, quite likely in the basement of the very building pictured above.

Memorial recently placed in Borisov's Jewish Cemetery.  Engraved on the memorial are the names found in Aleksandr Rosenblyum's years of research.  Photo sent to me by Rosenblyum.

Memorial recently placed in Borisov's Jewish Cemetery. Engraved on the memorial are the names found by Aleksandr Rosenblyum during many years of research. Photo sent to me by Rosenblyum.

Boris Bobrov was but one of millions of innocent men, women, and yes, children, of all ethnic groups in the USSR who were murdered under Stalin.

A full accounting of all of Stalin’s victims has never been possible because records were not maintained.  Rosenblyum’s list is the result of years of searching, and he says it is still incomplete.  He asks for readers to send in any additional information they may have.

Estimates of the total number of deaths in Stalin’s prisons and labor camps, together with famine deaths resulting from his policies, range from around 15 million to 25 million.

How to search for your family member

Non-Russian speakers who find family members in the list below can check Rosenblyum’s website for the additional information.  My son’s NiceTranslator Firefox plugin is a great tool which, once downloaded, creates pop-up translations on foreign language websites, with no cutting and pasting to another translation website (usable only with the Firefox browser).  Like all computer translations, these are very rough, but they give a general sense of the text.

If you find your family member listed here and would like help navigating the additional Russian-language information on Rosenblyum’s website, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.

Aleksandr Rosenblyum’s list of Borisov’s Jewish Gulag victims, transliterated from Cyrillic by Leon Kull ________________________________________

Surname Name Patronymic Name Dates of birth, death
AGNIK Mihail Ilyich (1890-1937)
AIZENSHTADT Boruh Iosifovich (1890-1937)
AKSEL’ Zusia Frolevich (1871-1938)
AVSEEV Boris Rafailovich (1882-1938)
BARKAN Eizer Evnovich (1893-1937)
BASKIND Mariya Grigor’evna (1901-?)
BEL’KIND Maks Borisovich (1906-1937)
BELEN’KAYA Judif’ Solomonovna (1908-?)
BELEN’KIY Boris Moiseevich (1889-?)
BELOUSOVA-GIBALEVICH Mera Moiseevna (1897-?)
BELYAVIN Berka Iosifovich (1894-1938)
BENSON Aron Borisovich (1886-?)
BERMAN Evsei Markovich (1893-1979)
BERMAN Solomon Leibovich (1898-1920)
BEYNENSON Grigoriy Moiseevich (1901-?)
BLATNER Yakov Yakovlevich (1904-1938)
BOBROV Shmuel’-Ber (Boris) Yakovlevich (1894-1938)
BUCHACHER Mihail Godelevich (1901-?)
DAVIDOVICH Lev Grigor’evich (1889-1957)
DOKSHICKIY Berka El’evich (1904-1938)
DRAKOHRUST Abram Genrihovich (1899-1937)
DREIZIN Solomon Zalmanovich (1900-?)
DVORKIND Girsh Abramovich (1903-1926)
EL’KIN Ilya Isaakovich (1888-?)
EL’KIN Miron Aronovich (1900-1946)
EL’KIND Boris Isaakovich (1891-?)
EL’KIND Boris Mihailovich (1899-1936)
EL’KIND Yuli Grigor’evich (1902-1938)
EL’SHTEIN Teodor Markovich (1894-?)
EPSHTEIN Moisey Meerovich (1905-?)
EPSHTEIN Solomon Markovich (1906-?)
FAIN Lipa Leibovich (1884-?)
FAINBERG Boris Isaakovich (1898-?)
FAINGAUZ Yakov Davidovich (1891-1941)
FIL’ZENSHTEIN Yankel’ Hilevich (1908-?)
FREIDLIN Iosif Naumovich (1889-?)
FRIDMAN Isaak Natanovich (1897-1984)
FRIDMAN Yakov Abramovich (1877-?)
FURMAN Abram-Yankel’ Girshevich (1895-?)
GAZIN Evsei Zelikovich (1872-?)
GERCIKOV Zalman Aronovich (1892-1977)
GINDIN Izrail’ Evzerovich (1914-?)
GITLINA Judif’ Borisovna (1905-?)
GODES Lazar’ Moiseevich (1882-?)
GOL’DSHTEIN Moisey Berkovich (1916-?)
GOLOMSHTOK Lev Morduhovich (1896-?)
GORELIK Cecilia Borisovna (1898-?)
GUREVICH Leonid Naumovich (1907-?)
GUREVICH Sheftel’ Moiseevich (1884-1939)
GUZOVACKER Nadezhda Fedorovna (1906-?)
HARIK Isaak Davidovich (1896?8?-1937)
HARIK Zalman Berkovich (1886-1930)
HOLODENKO Abram Moiseevich (1909-1990)
ISAEVA Anna Mihailovna (1917-?)
KAGAN Izrail’ Evgen’evich (1899-?)
KAGAN Ol’ga Anatol’evna (1902-1988)
KAMEN’ Izrail’ Leibovich (1898-1938)
KAMENECKIY Girsh Morduhovich (1895-1957)
KAPKIN Pavel Moiseevich (1889-?)
KARACHUNSKAYA Rahil’ Aleksandrovna (1898-1981)
KISELEV Evsei Moiseevich (1907-1937)
KLAZ Klara Leonovna (1897-1938)
KLEBANOV Maks Abramovich (1905-1940)
KLEBANOV Vladimir Aleksandrovich (1932-?)
KLIBANOV Aleksandr Iyich (1910-1994)
KLIONSKIY Girsh El’evich (1901-1937)
KLIONSKIY Iosif Grigor’evich (1898-?)
KLIONSKIY Semen Pavlovich (1894-1938)
KLIONSKIY Yankel’-Morduh Shmuilovich (1896-?)
KOTLOVSKIY Solomon Shmerlevich (1897-?)
KROLIK Klara Aronovna (1906-?)
KUDMAN Samuil Davidovich (1898-?)
KUGEL’ Leib Gershevich (1914-1938)
KUZNECOV Leib Shliomovich (1907-1937)
KUZNECOV Zelik Solomonovich (1906-?)
LAPAN Motel’ Iosifovich (1897-?)
LAPIDUS Movsha Samoilovich (1916-1937)
LEVIN Aron Faivovich (1897-1938)
LEVIN Haim Shmuilovich (1901-1937)
LEVIN Naum Abramovich (1890-1937)
LIFSHIC Yakov Abramovich (1915-1952)
LIVSHIC Zelik Samuilovich (1893-?)
LIVSHIC Zusia Shevelevich (1906-1938)
LULOV Movsha Yankelevich (1874-?)
MATLIN Leiba Girshevich (1905-?)
MATUSEVICH Mark Moiseevich (1895-1937)
MAZO Leizer Shmuilovich (1893-1937)
MAZO Shaia Yakovlevich (1885-1938)
MINKOV Morduh Boruhovich (1903-?)
MIRKIN Lev Nisonovich (1904-1938)
MOISEEV Lev Abramovich (1897-1937)
MOISEEVA Mariia Grigor’evna (1903-?)
MUROVANCHIK Samuil Aronovich (1908-?)
NAIDES Lev Isaakovich (1886-?)
NORMAN Nohim Aronovich (1905-1937)
ONIKUL CHesna Abramovna (1881-1961)
PEISAHOVICH Iosif Pavlovich (1906-?)
POLYAKOV Iosif Zalmanovich (1868-?)
RAIHEL’SON Sender Haimovich (1875-1943)
RAIHEL’SON Vladimir Leont’evich (1903-?)
RAINES Samuil Markovich (1881-1937)
RIER Movsha Berkovich (1888-?)
ROHKIND Aron Zalmanovich (1909-?)
ROZENBLUM Leiba Haimovich (1904-1936)
ROZENBLUM Mihail Aleksandrovich (1875-1937)
ROZENBLUM Samuil Ickovich (1887-1937)
ROZENCVEIG Beniamin Davydovich (1868-1937)
ROZENGAUZ Boris Samuilovich (1904-?)
ROZENGAUZ David Aronovich (1896-?)
ROZET Berta Anatol’evna (1896-?)
ROZOVSKAYA Nata Borisovna (1904-1938)
ROZOVSKIY Samuil Borisovich (1903-?)
RUBENCHIK David Ickovich (1902-?)
RUBINSHTEIN Lazar’ Mihailovich (1903-1938)
RUDOVA Sofya Yul’evna (1903-?)
RYKLIN Boris (1902-?)
RYVKIN Boruh Movshevich (1864-?)
RYVKIND Solomon Boruhovich (1893-?)
SAPOZHNIKOV Girsh-Morduh Leibovich (1892-?)
SHAPIRO Alter Yankelevich (1901-1937)
SHAPIRO Isaak Iyich (1895-1940)
SHAPIRO Maks Iyich (1891-1941)
SHAPIRO Roman Matveevich (1888-1937)
SHUB Solomon Mendelevich (1895-1938)
SINEL’NIKOV Genrih Semenovich (1891-1938)
SOSKIND Mihail Markovich (1878-1938)
TAVGER Bencian Aronovich (1930-1983)
TEPLIC Boris Isaakovich (1895-1952)
TSEITLIN Matvei Borisovich (1903-?)
VIGDORCHIK Mendl Vul’fovich (1887-1938)
VINNICKIY Yankel’ Girshevich (1895-1975)
ZEL’CER Izrail’ Yankelevich (1889-1938)
ZLATKIN Leiba Iosifovich (1898-1951)
ZORDIN Isaak Shlemovich (1904-1938)
ZORDINA Roza Shlemovna (?-1938)

13,565 Responses to “Aleksandr Rosenblyum’s list of Borisov GULAG victims”

  1. Terriffic blog post! I’ll be back to view your next article! Thank you!