Generally speaking, at least this seems to be the case at the camp my
family were released from (Monastryok nr Kotlas), those that waited
before leaving often fared better than those who left as soon as the
opportunity presented itself.
The first prisoners at my families camp were released in September,
my family left in October. The Camp commandant read out the list of
the names of those who could leave - it was not everybody at the same
time. Some who could have left did so only in December 1941 / January
1942. Those that did this often fared better as by the time they had
reached "the south" in some cases they managed to leave in the first
evacuations in March 1942.
Others like my family, who arrived in "the south" during December
1941 / January 1942 were usually sent to communal farms where they
became progressively weaker and my family (with the exception of my
Uncle) missed the March evacuations. During the next 6 months my
grandmother became weaker and weaker and eventually died in
Krasnavodsk right on the eve of the final evacuations in August - she
was literally carried away from the beach. The next day, her children
boarded the oil tanker to Pahlevi.
So the choice of whether to go or stay in the camps must have been a
terrible decision to make for all of our relatives.
Michael Kulik
Walsall
England
In Kresy-Siberia@..., "ANTONI KAZIMIERSKI"
<askazimierski@b...> wrote:
I think it must also be realised that although the amnesty was in
July 1941 it was no good to all those with families- only single
people could leave early;they took a risk. The families had to stay
behind in spite of having received their papers after a month's wait
from NKVD headqurters. While waiting we tried to save rations by
drying bread, fish and going to the nearest village to exchange any
goods we had for little cash-rubbles-as they were crucial in this
operation.
