What happened at Katyn?
Sometime in the spring of 1940, thousands of Polish military officers were rounded up by Soviet secret police forces, taken to the Katyn Forest outside of Smolensk, massacred, and buried in a mass grave. In 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union and pushed into the Polish territory once held by the Russians.
How many people were killed at Katyn?
22,000
| Katyn massacre | |
|---|---|
| Date | April–May 1940 |
| Attack type | Mass murder |
| Deaths | 22,000 |
| Victims | Polish military officers and intelligentsia prisoners of war |
What did the Germans discover at the Katyn Forest in 1943?
In April 1943, in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk in the Soviet Union, occupying German troops discovered eight large graves containing the remains of thousands of the Polish Army officers and intellectual leaders who had been interned at the prisoner-of-war camp at Kozielsk.
When did the Katyn massacre happen?
March 5, 1940Katyn massacre / Start date
Who was the most prolific executioner?
asily Blokhin
asily Blokhin (1895-1955) holds the Guinness World Record for being the most prolific official executioner. As Stalin’s favorite executioner, Blokhin personally killed over 20,000 people.
Where is Katyn located?
KatynKatyn massacre / Location
Who was Stalin’s executioner?
Why do executioners wear masks?
It cuts a gruesome figure and is deliberately macabre and menacing to further terrify the prisoner. Executioners often wore masks to hide their identity and avoid any retribution. They were often booed and jeered, especially if the person to be executed was a popular or sympathetic figure.
Who is Vasily Blokhin?
asily Blokhin (1895-1955) holds the Guinness World Record for being the most prolific official executioner. As Stalin’s favorite executioner, Blokhin personally killed over 20,000 people. Warning: This story contains terrifying details of executions.