Lopata Vera Ivanovna

Tell about yourself

I, Lopata Vera Ivanovna, was born in a family of five: father, mother, brother, sister and I. My father, Lopata Ivan Efimovich, was born in Chernigov region. My mother, Lopata Marina Il’ichna, was from Kiev, Darnitsa settlement. My brother Arkadij was a pilot; he was killed near Moskow on 5^th of January, 1943. My sister was an English teacher.

Tell about your life before the war

My family lived in a house divided for two owners. Concerning my education: I studied in different schools. After that I studied in a technical school specialized on glass (1939-41). And then the war began.

Do you remember how the war began?

In 1941 all factories were blown up; some managed to evacuate but that were mainly top people; at that time relatives from Kiev already came to us. I remember very well how I went to the railway station with my sister and uncle and tried to leave, but unfortunately we did not manage it succeed, as all the wagons were full of the higher-ups and Jews. My uncle climbed on a wagon's roof and I with my sister went back home and then the hard years of survival began. When the Germans came, of course we did not wait for them; my parents stayed in Konstantinovka during the war because old people were not useful for them. I do not remember exactly in which month the notices came; it was May or June of 1942. In such a notice my sister and I were ordered to come to the commandant's office. I was not at home at that time, but my sister went and afterwards she was sent to Germany to work at an airplane plant. As to me, I got to Germany in the end of August. I went with my father to the market and there was a raid; I was led to the commandant's office, then to the railway station. At the railway station I got on the wagon with other girls. It was cargo wagon, there was only one attendant German in the wagon. During the way they gave us bread and water. More than everything else I remembered one occasion: we traveled through Lviv and villages. There the bodies of some very young Jewish girls who had been killed were lying near the road, some of them were hanging at gallows.

Tell what town was you brought in, where did you work, what was your life in the camp?

When we arrived in Germany we got to an assembly point. There we were formally registered, our surnames were written down (we became slaves there). We got food only on the second day, and it was only water with turnips. At first, we refused to eat it, but then ate it as we were very hungry. At that time I did not know it yet, but I had to spend two years and eight month there. In the morning we were waken up, we had to form a line and a family with dogs passed by us, prisoners. They chose girls for housework but I was not taken. As for us remaining prisoners, we were put into cars and taken to the camp in Rüdersdorf.

When we came to the camp we were told to move into the rooms. In every room there were 14 people. They woke up us at 5 a.m. and told us what we   were going to do. Then we went to the factory. There we had to do hard work. I transported concrete, chip, and sand in a wheelbarrow to the concrete mixer, then carried the finished mix to another place and poured it out. As it turned out they made slabs from this mixture with the help of which rebuilt their destroyed objects. Sometimes we played dirty tricks on Germans: we poured sand into the mortar and their slabs got damaged. We got whipped for this Also they beat us when we sang Soviet songs on the way to the factory. Therefore they whipped our heels by the lash. The Germans really didn’t like songs that praised Soviet rule and Stalin. Concerning the food we had a meal three times a day: in the morning in the camp, in daytime at work and in the evening again in the camp. Only on holidays we received jacket potatoes and gravy. We were free only on Sunday after 2 p.m. There were not only Russians in the camp but also foreigners whom we communicated with. Also there were occasions when some people refused to work: they spread legs with some herb and they started to fester. They were sent to the medical center and when they felt better they cleaned the territory round the medical center.

In 1944 my friend and I had the courage to escape from the camp when we got to know that our army was in Poland. We went to the tram stop and went no one knew where. At every stop the station was announced. One of stations had a name Alexander square. It was Berlin. We stood up at this stop; there were a lot of posters on the walls; we went to the exit but suddenly were stopped, fortunately there were our people; they offered us to go to their camp. The names of these boys were Vitya and Vova, they appeared to be also from Konstantinovka. In that camp I met a friend from Konstantinovka, her name was Vera. I was in the same class with her brother; they fed us and told that we couldn’t go far because we would be taken back soon. Next day we caught the tram again and at the stop at which we left a tram, Germans took us and sent to the same camp. There we received 25 lashes and then we were locked in a punishment cell for 5 days. There they didn’t feed us, only one man gave us some food (later we got to know that he was a communist). Then we were again sent to the work at the factory. As wages I received 3 marks in 1944.

How did you return home and what did you do after the liberation?

Soon the prisoners got to know that our army was not far from us and soon would be in Berlin. We were very glad about that and the same time we were afraid of the Germans, but nevertheless we didn’t stop to show them that we were glad and waited for our army. There were frequent air raids on Berlin and Germans started to evacuate us. We crossed the Spree River and stayed in the forest. At night the bombing started, but to the morning everything was quiet. We saw how at first the ordnance and then infantry went down the path Frankfurt-Berlin. Among the infantry there was my friend Volodya Beryukov. It was the last time I saw him. In the future I will try to find him and his relatives in Konstantinovka, but unfortunately it will be in vain as I doubt that anyone knows him.

As to the continuation of my story we were sent to “our” camp. When we came to the office I saw many different documents on the ground. Among them I saw a document with the surname Lopata. Then I went together with others to Potsdam. We all were questioned, our health was examined. In the morning for breakfast I used marks and bought lard at the market. Then for dinner I had a  nourishing fat soup but suddenly I felt bad. I was calling for help till all started to celebrate victory day. In my mind I understood that I wanted to be with them and celebrate, but I was lying. Then soldiers came and took me away but I didn’t remember this as I felt very bad and could have even died, because I had eaten a fat meal which I had not eaten for a long time before. Soon I got well.

As I had an unblemished reputation I found myself in the list for the first wagon. Near 24-25 of May 1945 I came back home. My way home took nearly 2-3 days. I thought about staying in Germany but nothing came out.

What is your attitude to the war, what does it mean to you?

It would be better if there was never war, if there was always peace, work and love. I want to tell the future generation that they should be serious, take care of family, people, and state. That they should be ready every minute to defend their own country.  I think that today we can live in peace and harmony and, we only have to respect old people, not to forget them and to adopt all their professionalism.