Jews were not only victims during World War II. Starting from the first days, tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews went to the frontline and served as Red Army soldiers and commanders. The words of the famous Jewish public figure and actor Solomon Mikhoels were heard all over the country: “Jewish mother! If you have an only son, bless him to fight the brown plague.”

About 500,000 Jews served in the Soviet army. Almost 200,000 did not come back home.

There is a unique exhibit in front of you - a set of surgical instruments belonging to military doctor Abram Abramov. It was a trophy. It was found during one of the combat outings. From the very beginning of the war, Abramov served at the frontline. He performed complex operations in the gravest conditions. Here you can see letters from grateful patients.

Above, there is a capsule-medallion for posthumous identification. It belonged to the Red Army soldier Isaac Tomashev. The army used metal, wooden, ebonite capsules with paper inserts. The parchment inserts made in the printing house had very small columns, allowing soldiers to write only the essential information. Most often, these medallions did not ensure tightness. That’s why the inserts were not always saved. Nevertheless, until the spring of 1942, such medallions were the only object to identify the soldier.

In the top showcase on the right, on the top shelf, there are materials belonging to the partisan Victor Tsibitovsky. He was born in the Vinnytsia region. He was not called up for army service because of his age. But he joined the partisans. He became a soldier of the 2nd Ukrainian partisan brigade.

On the middle shelf, there is a complex of exhibits belonging to Mikhail Poddubsky (real name Moysha Kaltsman). He spent his childhood in Belarus. During the raid, he miraculously survived. Philip Poddubsky and his wife Ksenia saved him. When Mikhail recovered, he was transferred to the partisan detachment “For Motherland,” based in the woods near Mogilev. Michael became a communication agent. Younger than 13, he went on combat missions with weapons and participated in blowing up the bridges.

The partisans had neither front line nor rear. They tried to save every grenade, every mine, every cartridge. No one delivered ammunition to them. They got something in battles with the Nazis. On the bottom shelf, you can see some of the partisan’s weapons.

In the far showcase on the left, there are the belongings of Igor (Izya) Belousov, a native of Katerynoslav, a participant of the Soviet-Finnish war. He fought in the First Ukrainian Front. He was a senior sergeant and radio operator and took part in the battle for Dnipro. You can see his awards right in front of you.

Between the showcases, there is an installation with a monument to the underground member Tatiana Markus. She was an active fighter in the Kyiv underground. A 20-year-old Komsomol member, a Jew, she joined a combat sabotage group led by Volodymyr Kudryashov. The underground members invented a legend for Tatiana. She played a role of a Georgian, Princess Markusidze, the daughter of a prince shot by the Bolsheviks. She wanted to work for the Wehrmacht. During her underground activities, Tatiana killed several dozen German soldiers and officers. But she was caught and tortured for several months in Gestapo casemates. Nazis demanded the names of other underground activists, but she did not betray anyone. On January 29, 1943, Tatiana Marcus was shot dead in Babyn Yar.