How a village teacher rescued 3,225 children during World War II

On August 14, 1942, an unusual train approached the platform of the Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) railway station. About 60 freight cars, the passengers of which were hungry and exhausted, but, most importantly, living children, natives of Smolensk Region, fleeing from German bombs and shells.

In order to survive, they had to part with their families and native lands, where fierce battles were taking place at that time. The Germans did not spare the civilian population: they burned villages, showing particular cruelty toward the relatives of communists and those who were suspected of helping the partisans.

This was the only way to save children from death or camps – to send them far into the rear. Nikifor Kolyada, known as ‘Batya’, the commander of the partisan unit, entrusted the organization of the difficult transition to Matryona Volskaya, a primary school teacher at the Basin school. He did not know that she was carrying a son under her heart, but he knew her as a responsible fighter and a well-established scout. By that time, Volskaya had already received the ‘Order of the Red Star’ for a successful operation carried out by the partisans. Only two people could be allocated to help her: teacher Varvara Polyakova and nurse Ekaterina Gromova. Together, they had to ensure the safe evacuation of hundreds of children.

The journey

On July 23, 1942, about 1,500 children gathered in the square in the village of Yeliseyevichi. Those who were at least 10 years old were taken on the march. The oldest were 16–17. The partisans understood that those who were younger would simply not be able to walk 200 km across impassable roads and swamps in the front line zone – a "no man's land" where fascist attacks could be expected from any side and at any moment…

"It was very scary," Varvara Sergeevna recalled. "Not to us, but for them. How could we figure out with so many how to lead them along a dangerous road?"

The children were divided into groups of 40–50 people and messengers were assigned. Volskaya, the commander of the operation, walked in front with the oldest children, then Polyakova with the younger children and nurse Gromova brought up the rear with the youngest. They walked during the day. At night, they hid in the forest and Matryona would go on reconnaissance 20-25 km ahead, checking the road: whether the path was mined, whether there were any fascists. By morning, she returned back to lead the detachments forward again.

It was very hot. But, the water around was not drinkable: the wells and even the water of the Gobza River had all become toxic due to cadaveric poison, thanks to the fascists throwing the bodies of the dead into it. However, upon seeing the Western Dvina, the children rushed to the water, coming out from under the shelter of the forest. They scattered in all directions and only a lone cart with a horse remained standing by the bank. It turned out that the weakened Zhenya Alekhnovich was there – she was wounded. Incredibly, she was the only girl injured during the operation.

3,225 lives

Along the way, children from the surrounding villages and towns joined those marching - Volskaya refused no one, accepting them all. In the town of Toropets, again, about 1,000 children were added. They waited for several days for the train, hiding in a former school and a half-destroyed club.

On the night of August 5, the long-awaited boarding of the train took place. Volskaya's “army” stretched along the 60-car train: teenagers gradually occupied the cars, with the words "CHILDREN" written in huge letters on the roofs.

At the station in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod), the train was met by government officials and doctors. Many children had to be carried out on stretchers, but Volskaya was still able to deliver them alive. According to eyewitnesses, 3,225 children safely made it from the occupation to the rear.

Volskaya's wards were first distributed among hospitals and clinics, then to vocational schools and, later, to factories. She herself was sent to work as a teacher in a secondary school in the village of Smolki in Gorky Region.

Her first child arrived soon after a difficult labor and, later, Matryona's husband, partisan Mikhail Volsky, arrived. She went on to teach elementary school, gave birth to a second son and never spoke much to anyone about that heroic evacuation of 1942.

This material is published in an abridged form - the original was published in the ‘Russkiy Mir’ magazine.