2. Background
• U.S.S.R. was in the beginning of a
transformation period.
• Vladimir Lenin was leader of the Soviet Union
• After Lenin dies, Joseph Stalin takes power.
• Russia and the Ukraine were in a famine. Stalin
decided to take Ukrainian crops and forced them
to starve while he fed Russia.
3. Vladimir Lenin
Joseph Stalin
• Successor to Vladimir Lenin
• Ruler of Soviet Union from 1929-1953
• Born Iosif Vissioronovich Djugashvili in Gori,
Georgia 1879
• Nicknamed…”The Butcher”
• Murdered 3 times as more people than Hitler
• Led many smaller Genocides of Muslims, and
the expulsions of 15 million Germans from
Russia
5. Location continued
Russia
Ukraine
Map of population loss in Russia due to labor
camps.
6. Key People
• Commissars V. Molotov-U.S.S.R Lazar Kaganovitch
ambassador
• Lazar Kaganovitch-Stalin’s “right hand man”
• G. Yagoda-Head of the U.S.S.R’s NKVD Police
Joseph Stalin
• Joseph Stalin-Leader of the U.S.S.R.
G. Yagoda
Commissars
V. Molotov
7. Why It Happened
• Famine in Russia and the Ukraine
• Stalin would rather feed Russians and Ukrainian
farmers produced almost ¼ of the food for Russia
• Stalin was very scared of other communists leaders
taking power.
• Stalin was paranoid of uprisings by peasants and
farmers
• Stalin had a thirst for power.
• He had very little acknowledgement of human life.
• 1932-The genocide begins.
8. What Happened?
• Stalin’s first move was to shut down the borders of
Ukraine
• Stole all livestock and crops of farmers. “Forced
Collectivization”
• Harvested all previously planted or collected food from
towns and small cities.
• Set up death squads who killed “anti-party elements” or
people who were against Stalin.
• 10,000 executions of Ukrainian people a week.
• Labor camps in Russia set up for Ukrainian people.
• Ukrainian people died of starvation, torture, and lack of
proper living conditions.
10. The Winter of 1932-1933
• 25,000 Ukrainians died a day. (City of Auburn,
New York has a population of about 26,500)
• How they died-Shot, Hypothermia, Starved to
death.
• Cannibalism was common due to food shortage.
Pile of dead bodies
during the winter of
1932-1933
12. KGB Emblem
KGB/NKVD
• Secret Police
• Carried out crimes against Ukrainian people and
other minorities
• Ran forced labor camps
• Many were fire fighters, police officers and
border guards.
13. End Of The Genocide
• WWII ended causing more crops to be grown in
Russia causing the population to be fed and
more people to do common jobs in Russia.
• Stalin dies March 5, 1953 due to a stroke.
• Stalin suffered the stroke on March 1st, but
medical treatment was slowed due to his
reputation, causing him to suffer for four days
and die a slow painful death.
• His death still remains a mystery.
14. Family History
Luba Pietska- My great grandmother, born in Kiev,
Ukraine. Family sent her to America during the
massacre. She was a toddler. Never saw her family
after that.
Marka Bondarenko- Married Luba, then died
tragically. Had 2 twins with her. Bill (stormed
Omaha beach in WWII) and Annie.
John Pawlowsky-My great grandfather from Russia,
married Luba. Had 3 kids Alec, Alice (my
grandmother), stationed in the Russian Army on the
Manchurian Border. Came to America by hiding on
a boat and hopped the border from Canada.
15. Family History continued
• Alice married Charles Ossit (my grandfather)
but died of cancer after having 4 children
Steven, Kevin, J. John and Christopher (both
died days after they were born)
• Kevin married Sheila DeForest and they had 3
kids Zachary, Nathaniel, and Margaret.
