MARIA GRAC


Volunteer Maria Grac. I was born on 24 March 1924 in the village of Starysław, district of Horochów, wołyńskie voivodeship.


In 1940 I was deported together with my father and brother to Arkhangelsk, where we were forced to perform hard labor in the forests.

Conditions during the journey were extremely difficult. To cap it all, the frost was so severe. We traveled in hunger, while the escorting soldiers didn’t give us any water or heating fuel to warm the cold wagon. In spite of our suffering, we somehow made it to Arkhangelsk, where I was assigned to a forestry gang. This marked the beginning of the second stage of our hellish ordeal. I had to work so very hard to get the 400 grams of bread that were the difference between life and a death of hunger. There was no rest – not on Sundays or other holidays. We had to work incessantly from dawn to late evening. Finally, I fell ill due to the exhaustion and hunger, and this was a real blow to me.

And although in the end we were liberated from this nightmare, I was still forced to work in kolkhozes, receiving equally meager wages.

Only on 5 April 1942 was I able to volunteer for work in the hospital in Margilan. Soon after I was sent to Guzar, and from there to Persia and Iran.

I now work in Hospital no. 3.

Official stamp, 8 March 1943