ua-006674-01
type: RecordSet
has or had holder: ua-006674
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/ua-006674-01/acquisitions/1
has or had some members with language: deu
has or had script: Cyrl
has or had script: Latn
sources: Zhukovsky Myroslav Petrovych personally interviewed by Litkevych Vladyslav during his visits to Nikopol in the summer of 2023, further clarification by phone.
has or had some members with language: rus
conditions of access: Access to the collection is severely restricted due to constant Russian shelling of Nikopol. The area is highly dangerous, with multiple damaged and destroyed buildings. Eyewitness account: "A week ago, a shell hit a two-story house near a bus stop, just 350 meters from me. Two people sought shelter in the basement—they survived but were severely injured by falling concrete fragments and the blast wave. The house is now a skeletal ruin, beyond repair" Nearby, several houses on the same street have been hit, and on October 11, 2023, a rocket struck Lyceum No. 16, a 19th-century architectural monument.
identifier: 667401
record resource extent: Date(s): 1939–1945; 2018, 2021 The collection comprises paper documents, working notes, signed testimonies, and photocopies of published documents. It includes research materials on the Holocaust, partisans, and underground fighters in the Nikopol region. The materials also contain a small folder on the Holocaust, as well as documents produced by Jewish researchers of Tkum on mass shootings in the area. Some materials were submitted to a museum but were not formally registered, resulting in the loss of at least 50 items. The collection contains only a few photographs from the period, mainly depicting individuals. Additionally, it includes a monograph titled"The Nikopol Region, the Holocaust. In Memory of the Righteous Among the Nations of the Worl" (published in 2018 and 2021).
has record set type: Collection
scope and content: The Holocaust was a forbidden topic under Communist Party rule, leaving no official records. Nikopol’s population shifted dramatically: from 26,000 in 1914 (including 3,000 Jews and two synagogues) to 70,000 by 1941 due to refugees and industrial expansion. Post-WWII, it fell back to 26,000, dominated by newcomers indifferent to the Holocaust and Holodomor, focused on economic opportunities rather than historical memory. Historical narratives were shaped by Soviet-trained propagandists, limiting research on Nazi and Soviet terror victims. Underground resistance fighters referenced 1940s events but prioritized ideological loyalty to Stalin and communism over details. Independent research uncovered forgotten atrocities, including testimonies about a Roma camp execution (~20 people). Despite outreach to the All-Russian Roma Union, local authorities dismissed efforts to memorialize the victims, pressuring researchers to follow the official narrative. A postwar influx of Roma—Yugoslav, Hungarian, and Romanian—complicated their legacy. Some were linked to WWII-era Balkan violence, leading to Tito’s executions of Roma groups accused of provocations. Those who reached the Soviet Union faced assimilation pressure, and by the 1970s, they were expelled from Nikopol.
conditions of use: Reproduction of the collection is subject to the owner's discretion.
has or had some members with language: ukr
appraisal: The collection remains in private hands and lacks legal status, requiring formalization. The owner is reluctant to entrust it to institutions due to past experiences—documents left in a museum in 1985 were discarded during a move. These materials are irreplaceable, as many eyewitnesses have since passed away, taking their memories with them. Local interest in preserving historical records is low. Survival takes priority for residents, and historical research is met with indifference. A stark example occurred in 2006, when human bones were discovered while digging a pit. Despite an official investigation and documentation, remains were discarded as trash by a cleaner—a symbol of neglect toward historical memory. The only viable solution is digitization. However, resources are insufficient—a monitor, stabilizer, eco-flow, scanner, and bactericidal lamps are still needed.
archivist note: Compiled by Vladyslav Litkevych for Arolsen Archives as part of the project to identify and describe microarchives in Ukraine for EHRI.
title: Personal scientific archive of Myroslav Petrovych Zhukovskyi, Nikopol
history: The creator of this collection has spent over 45 years researching and gathering historical materials related to the Holocaust, World War II, and Soviet-era repression in the Nikopol region. His dedication to preserving these histories has faced significant obstacles, including political opposition, lack of institutional support, and personal risk due to the sensitive nature of his findings. In addition to collecting documentary evidence, he has built a library over the span of 50 years, amassing critical resources despite economic hardship and ongoing threats to the integrity of his collection. His research began in the 1980s when he was in contact with World War II veterans who privately shared testimonies that contradicted official Soviet propaganda. These veterans revealed details about the failures of the underground city committee of the Communist Party during the Nazi occupation of Nikopol, a topic that was politically unacceptable at the time. Contrary to the official narrative, the committee had not functioned as intended—its members had fled, leaving the city without organized resistance. He also uncovered information about a partisan unit, the Chkalovsk detachment, which had not been recognized by the Soviet government because its members had deserted official partisan ranks and instead joined the Red Army. These findings, based on firsthand testimonies, were considered highly controversial, and as a result, he was dismissed from his position at the museum in 1985 under accusations that his work was “incompatible” with the institution’s mission. His research on the Holocaust led him to locate a mass grave in Nikopol, where between 10,000 and 12,000 victims of Nazi terror are believed to be buried. Despite extensive documentation and testimonies from witnesses, local authorities have refused to recognize or investigate the site. He has proposed using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to establish the boundaries of the grave without disturbing the remains, but…