Institutions for foreign war prisoners and internees in Dnipropetrovsk region in 1944-1951: number and allocation

• Main Author: V. P. Motrevich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Publishing House "Grani" 2016-11-01
• Series: Granì
• Subjects: Друга світова війна; табір; відділення; робочий батальйон; спеціальний госпіталь
• Online Access: https://grani.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/866

The study of the institutions for the placement of war prisoners (POWs) and internees on the territory of Dnipropetrovsk region has been one in the article. The amount and geographical allocation of German foreign war prisoners and the internees in Dnipropetrovsk region during the war and the early postwar years has been explored. It has been determined that the war prisoners had been settled in this region in years 1944-1951 and they had been concentrated in 39 branches of five camps of GUPVI NKVD USSR. The number of the branches of each camp has been counted. It has been found during the study that the largest camp was Dnipropetrovsk camp number 315, which consisted of twenty five branches and existed for five years. The second camp was a Southern camp number 417, which had ten branches. Some branches of this camp were located on the territory of Dnipropetrovsk region and others were outside it. Besides, here were brunches, which were ruled from Zaporozhye and Kharkiv regions. The dynamics of functioning of NKVD GUPVI system on the territory of the region has been shown by the author. The article contains data on the formation of special treatment camps for convicted war prisoners and internees in the whole Ukraine and Dnepropetrovsk region in particular. Furthermore, thirty-seven separate labor battalions of POWs and internees were in this region. The information on the number of separate battalions in the USSR has been provided by the author. It has been determined in the article that most battalions were located on the territory of Stalin, Dnipropetrovsk and Voroshilovgrad regions. It has been established that first battalions were formed in January 1945, and the last battalion was closed in December 1949. This problem requires further study as here is no information about the elimination of some battalions. Information about the number, location and period of existence of special hospitals of the USSR People’s Health Commissariat has been enlightened in the article firstly. It has been shown that institutions for the allocation of prisoners and internees were located throughout the region, but majority of them were concentrated in the large industrial centers and near railway stations. All names of settlements in the article are used in accordance with the administrative-territorial division of Ukraine during the period of study.