The most tragic feature of the Second World War was unprecedented to incredibly high, simply catastrophic number of deaths of civilians. These were not only the so-called concomitant loss of belligerents during hostilities and other undesirable consequences of the war, but mainly the result of conscious and consistent Nazi occupation policy against the civilian population of the occupied countries, especially those where the conquerors met resistance.
In the politicy of Nazism in World War II in Ukraine as a separate type of crimes against the civilian population, it is appropriate to allocate the destruction of settlements, along with its inhabitants. The same tactics was systematically conducted by invaders in Belarus and Russia. In mournful list of burned villages and towns burning of town of Koryukivka in Chernihiv region by Nazi punishers is singled out. 
Koryukivka is a village of the town type since 1923,  the town since 1958, the center of Koryukivka district of Chernigov region since 1966,  located 100 km from the regional center - the city of Chernihiv - in the northern region Brech River (a tributary of the River Snov) . Koryukivka area bordered by Semenivka, Novgorod-Siversky, Sosnitsa, Mena, Shchors districts of Chernigov and Bryansk region of the Russian Federation. The town is located at the intersection of roads of regional and local importance, in which the connections with the regional center and the neighboring district center: Schors, Mena, Semenivka and towns of the district.
Chernihiv region in 1941-1943 was an active edge of Soviet partisans. During the German occupation Koryukivka became the center of Soviet partisan movement in Chernihiv region. Chernihiv guerrilla group, partisan union of O. Fedorov began its way from here, here
the Party and Komsomol underground constantly acted. In February 1943 the Soviet partisan unit commanded by Alexei Fedorov returned from Bryansk and camped in the woods on Koryukivka Kamensk farm. It began collecting food in villages and actions against the occupiers. Later, the Nazis burned for this the villages of Guta Studenetska, Tikhonovichi, part of Perelub. One of the measures of the occupation authorities against the guerrillas was taking into custody of family members of partisans in Koryukivka, who subsequently were probably planned to be executed. At the request of the platoon connection commander Feodosiy Stupak, whose two 12-13 year children were also put in Koryukivka prison and his wife was shot, Mykola Popudrenko, who in the absence of Fedorov, was acting commander, gave the command to attack on the town.
On the night of February 27, 1943 guerrillas connection Fedorov defeated German garrison, whose remains have survived only in the brick house the hospital. Liberated prisoners from the dungeon family guerrillas, activists from around the region (according to official figures - 97, according to the recollections - from 37 to 50).
The morning of March 1, 1943 with Shchorsa in Koryukivka arrived German execution squads. Town was surrounded. All residents in groups of 50-100 people. were driven in large homes and shot. Here is how it is described in the Act Chernihiv Regional Commission for the investigation of crimes and the Nazis in Koryukivka on December 17, 1943: "The mass executions were carried out, followed by burning mainly: 1) The restaurant where evidence from witnesses Gorbachevska Olga Pavlovna , Samburzskoyi Lydia Afanasieva Xenia, who were shooting at, but only accidentally injured and left to live, found that the March 1, 1943 at home Koryukivka restaurant was driven to 500 civilians, in order of priority, lots of 50 to 100 people. They were shot separately from the machine in sight of all the people present. After all this violence March 2, 1943 restaurant with corpses were burned. [2)] This mass destruction of people by firing squad, followed by burning was carried out also in the room zemviddilu in theater and in church. "
Simultaneously to 10 cars with punitive prochisuvaly all houses and around the town and killing civilians, as in the rooms and on the streets.
To give an idea of the crime excerpt memories survivor resident priest Vsevolod Dagayev: "Approximately at nine o'clock in the morning the first of March the Germans began machines pid'yizdyty refinery to the office where I rented a room nearby. Before my wife and I decided to move to an apartment in Alekseevka [district town]. So I went to find a cart to transport things. When he returned, I did not miss, I began to shoot. I went into the house for ten meters from the restaurant.
When satisfied that damned fascist executioners left, went to a restaurant and saw a mountain of dead people and a pool of blood. In Alekseyevka where I went right after that was the same: the houses and just lay on the court for 20-30 corpses.
Some homes with corpses Nazis burned the first day. On the second day continued the same. There were cases when people living thrown into the fire. "
After the destruction of all found Koryukivka punitive town burned. Eyewitnesses said that the smoke and the glow from the fire could be seen in the regional centers Schorsa anks in the hills. Campaign was held on 1 and 2 March 1943 Later, March 9, punitive returned to dopalyty village and kill the survivors. Here is how to extend this tragedy told Lydia Violin "[9 March 1943] ... Naumovskiy way [...] moving carts with belongings koryukivchan. People took and took out all that remained after the pogrom. Lida ran and wanted to get on with kotrus carts. Suddenly - machine gun turn. The girl fell in the weeds and become silent. And the Nazis drove the car forward and stopped their carts. Almost all people were taken to the old brick, shoved into the oven for vyzharyuvannya bricks, doused them with kerosene and lit. On the same day fiends on Kamyshantsi [district Koryukivka] povytyahuvaly from under the stove burned houses grandmother, who returned home, brought them to the barn, doused with kerosene and set on fire. Zvirstvuvaly they wanted. "
The consequences of Nazi crimes: killing about 7 thousand people. The Act Chernihiv Regional Commission for the investigation of crimes and the Nazis in Koryukivka on December 17, 1943 indicated that 1 and 2 March 1943 according to estimates by killing 6700 people, burned 1,290 homes. The document describes the condition of the settlement as follows: "In the overview Koryukivka is absolutely destroyed village (where you only have 10 residential buildings [brick building]) with complete destruction of houses, institutions cinema houses health care network."
Destruction Koryukivka with civilians Nazi occupation authorities clearly a war crime (murder and cruel treatment of civilians in occupied territories) and a crime against humanity (politics persecution, repression and destruction of the enemies of Nazism, detention of people without trial, persecution, prynyzhuvannya, enslavement, torture and murder). This estimate is fully consistent with the findings of an international trial of the former leaders of Nazi Germany in Nyurnberhzi that took place on November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946
Koryukivka tragedy 01.02 in March 1943 by its scale is the biggest bloody punitive action Nazis to destroy the civilian population with the settlement of World War II in Europe. Moreover, the offense was not during combat opposing sides. This conclusion brings comparisons with world famous tragedies of World War II in Europe:
Ukrainian Koryukivka - 1-2 March 1943 killed and burned about 7,000 people of all ages - from infants to the frail elderly.
Belarusian Shed - March 22, 1943 in the village of 149 people killed.
Czech Lidytse - June 11, 1943 were killed in the village and murdered in a concentration camp 320 people.
French Oradour - June 10, 1944 in the destroyed village of 642 people.


Remembering the victims of the tragedy Koryukivka 1943 in the second half of XX century. - 2011

Since the war the local authorities and the public made some activities to commemorate the victims of the Nazi occupiers. In the city center Koryukivka at local restaurants, lodging in a March 1, 1943 Punisher was destroyed hundreds of defenseless residents in November 1977 created a monument - a memorial in honor of the heroic resistance of the inhabitants Koryukivschyny Nazi invaders at one of the places of mass execution residents 1 March 1943 - at the restaurant, which is then burned, the local historical museum - exhibition.
In the first half of the 80-ies of XX century. was already approved project Memorial 256 burnt villages and cities in Ukraine Koryukivka. After the Chernobyl disaster, this project was abandoned and forgotten.
In 1988 he published an extremely small edition book Memorial "Crown immortality hundreds immortal Ukrainian villages burnt to the Nazi punitive actions, thousands of compelling people who lived in them and suffered martyrdom of Hitler's executioners," which described the tragedy in Koryukivka .
September 1, 2009 to the 70th anniversary of World War II "Inter" a documentary of its own production "in 1377 burned alive." Author and filmmaker John Kravchyshyn (Studio "07 Production") described in the film about Koryukivka tragedy in 1943
This tragedy described in the books Kiev ethnographer with Koryukivschyny Basil Ustimenko in historical publications Honored Journalist of Ukraine Sergei Pavlenko "Black Monday Koryukivka" and other publications.
However, unlike other well-known all over the world the Nazi killings of civilians during World War II in Europe Koryukivka tragedy for a long time remained unknown for Ukraine and the world, and the memory of the dead was not revered by appropriate measures.
The situation began to change gradually from 2010 This was due to the joint efforts of the Chernihiv Oblast State Administration of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory and Koryukivka district administration, the public, academics and local historians. Published collection of documents and materials "Contact details of 1943: a crime against humanity." Began intensive research work, organized activities and prepared publications to inform the public and higher authorities of the country of Koryukivka tragedy.
The adoption of the fall 2011 President of Ukraine Decree "On measures in connection with the 70th anniversary of Koryukivka tragedy" and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "On the commemoration of the tragedy Koryukivka during the Second World War" set honoring the victims of the tragedy at the state Koryukivka level as part of the state policy of national memory.
The event is one of the main tasks include construction in Koryukivka memorial complex residents of settlements of Ukraine, exterminated by the Nazi occupiers.
This decision is fully consistent with national and European traditions honoring the dead. Thus, in France and the Czech Republic Nazi occupation regime did not hold a separate mass kind of "punishment" burning together with the inhabitants of entire villages. However, the village of Oradour-sur-Glan in France, which in 1944 was destroyed by German Punisher, after the war is not restored. Its ruins were left for edification descendants. The modern village is built at a distance from destroyed. The decision of French President Charles de Gaulle Oradour-sur-Glan declared Memorial. In 1999, President Chirac called Oradour "city of martyrs". In 2008, the memorial center was awarded the Austrian memorial service. Another example, in the village. Lidytse in the Czech Republic to commemorate the destruction of its residents created a memorial museum exhibitions.
For Ukraine experience of neighboring Belarus and Russia is closer, where, as in Ukraine, during the occupation the tactics of settlements mass destruction together with population was used.
The memorial complex "Khatyn" in Belarus was opened in 1969 to commemorate 628 Belarusian villages destroyed by the Nazis during World War II.
On October 25, 2011 in the village Hatsun Bryansk region of the Russian Federation with the participation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin the eponymous memorial was opened in memory of the destruction of all its inhabitants - 318 men on 25 October 1941 by the fascists.