POLISH PRISONER'S ACCOUNT OF SOVIET CONCENTRATION CAMPS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500840033-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2003
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: July 23, 1947
• Content Type: IR

25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2003/11/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500840033-0
MWID m1 AL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROW
INTk'LLSGENCE REPORT
COUNTRY Poland SSR
DATE
INFO.
SULUECT Polish Priionor'e Lccouat of Soviet
Cenoontret..on CmVa.
25X1
sTnrwaR .11 _ NAVY JUC?ICE
DIST. 23 Judy 19.41
PAGES
SUPPLEMENT
25X1
25X1
Tiremmri'lne oz Prirlo.nm
1.. Prlnoreea?a wire t1'e3;:Eoportcei $.n imwcur.iiatod cattle care with no protection
#' ru n Uic; 40c winter weatiecr. 7Accmo was an avarat;e of 50 people in cash
15-ton var. Daily aatJ.o;u3 oonoiatot of ?20 gr. of biscuit, 50 r. of u:zlted
bacons and one toavr?,onn of ou{;ar. L43 vntAr vau furniohod; when primonoro
coiled for if. Gucrdu voiild uoma inter the care, boat and kick the pooli , o:ui
inciUe 'cieoir dots to take au3cgr what food t1rW had. Told ,hcj ours contaiaofi
Qormrma, the population nernod thr t.:risonorz rxnd throw ato;ree. In c ich car
tho;-e woco 3iaformm-e olio oonductvl ierrootigatir no during the ono-mon?`+i
Tournry.,
2. Upon arrival at a dobtinrtio'? prieanoro e.lr yo bad to caulk n few ndloa to
the caroa, often throt h dent anav, mnirrou,7ded !Ay unrds nand clogs. Ceipo
ut-willf conei9ted of bwi1y ', d burri.clly biflt bumraclni anieatad with bedbw o.
.u hair wcv, rowel in lieu of b:.anl;cto. Uft^n tiler e wan no in the coop.
ire theme croon It, crou).ci !!uv+; to bo brouf bt in on 51o:igh:~ rnrl.lcd by six to
e1j t man for a diL-t:cncu var two WJciootera. tw.,bing was out of tho gacotion.
3. Cevgw near the mina wore -.Ml of,..' rr,r? fuel no cvaryone r?rotAd bring n piece
of coal frco imaric. In ot:e?;r crepe. Aril bad to be brought in olaip}w poiod
by mni. "loot oervica" Ia huge veto woo doiu, l1NJ a penalty for bad Harr or
lack of dinoiplino. In one of tiro cnrq;a (Nurouor ')/233) tho o Ming officer,
a Captain Floryneb:i, '.eatod a apeciai brigeslo of formox? AL ArmJt- rrajotim..
or Iloeac A.fe:q officorpf for thin filth,~,r tank,
i2 'Ind FjQri Le~112~t l1,Le?
7?wico a day, in the 3uornirrj and ovrKring, imloonrre received ttuv "tu%rtere if
a Liter of soup f:vm rottcvr cab.rogce loavos cold other cues ver atabloo, ti3roc to
four upoontlrlu of krvrbc, and 603 Ermw (ono kilogram if vurkiug in ti;:: miuorI)
Approved For Release 2003/11/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500840033-0
Q
94452
25X1
 Approved For Release 2003/11/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500840033-0
25X1
0
94052-
of broad. Noe a month they got a half kilogram of sugar. Most of the
fat, flour, meat, and ornned stuffs received at the camp was eaten by the
camp administrators; very little reached the prisoners. In the spring,
when no cabbage was left, they boiled thistles and nettles. To avoid
complete emaciation the inmates sold whatever was left of their belongings,
stole at their working posts, and made all sorts of things to sell. In that
way they helped each other to survive. There were some doctors (also Poles)
but facilities were so inadequate and medicines so scarce that sickness was
a habit. Tuberculosis, diarrhea, pneumonia, and sciatica were particularly
prevalent.
Daily working hours ranged from eight hours in the ammo to ten hours in
the buildings. Pay varied from 100 to 300 rubles a month. Some of the mine
workers received premiums to encourage greater output--e.g., one kilogram of
bread (20 - 30 rubles), one kilogram of potatoes (6 - 16 rubles), one liter
of milk (12 - 25 rubles), one egg (7 - 10 rubles), one kilogram of bacon
(250 - 450 rubles). These prices varied with the seasons and the appearance
of items on the free market.
Ryeent After Germ v' a Surrende
6. When the fighting stopped prisoners expected to be released, but not until
Sep 45 did any return to Poland. Those remaining were mostly social and
political workers, AK officers, or Gamtrnan spies.
7. On 27 Doc 45 a second transport loft from Staalinoparsk. Food became scarcer
and fat or meat nor.-existent. In the spring of 46 the authorities received
orders to favor the Germans, who were given the a?t?tus of guards. Though
unarmed, they could be diatinguirhod by white bands on their aloevae.. This
scandalized the local population who from then on became friendlier toward
the prisoners. The administration of the camp wan also turned over to the
Germans. The authorities explained that this was because they pl-nned to
send all the Poles home, keeping only the Germans. In Jun 46 about 150,
mostly AK officers, were selected and cent oast, probably to Kazan, under very
strong oscort.
8. On 15 Jun another transport of about 2,000 people, enst]y Poles who had served
9. Destruction between the Ustawaja station and Baranoviczo is widespr;od. Stations,
bridges and citieu are completely doo;royod and only a fort villages have survived.
The fields era mostly unplowed and grass is high on what were battlefields.
Between those one does coo stripe of land with very poor crops on them. Along
the track there are whole German factories on railroad onus. On the aide of
the tracks uncovered machinery is dumped aloppil.y to rot away. Some things,
naturally, are being carried away by the local population.
10. At the Katr'n station prisoners tried to get the 1'kolcbo2niki'w who hc4.cpont the
whole oar there to talk about Polish offioovs murdaeo?:. in Kozia Dora[ Kozia Glowy. ,.
They would look around fearfully to see if anyone wan watching or listening and
then without a word would leave. The place is now guarded by the Soviet Army
and no one can go there.
 CONF'ID"EITIAL
Approved For Release 2003/11/21: CIADP80-00809A&% 0840033$4052
11. At Krasnaj a prteoners saw a in in a Polish major's uniform walking up and
down with an old bearded kolchoznik. When they spoke to the orficer in
Polish be did not undormtand.
'12. From Smolensk onward crowds of women would board the train, hanging on the
buffers and sitting on the roof. They would Co as far as Breese to got
bread and potatoes 'Stich they would take back home. The difference on the
Polish side of the frontier was noticeable. There the fields were tilled,
the houses clean, and at the stations women came and sold bread, butter,
sausages, Wilk, and cheese.
Other Soviet CE MO
13. In many nape in the Stalinogorsk region there are still about 1,500 Poles,
mixed with Germans. In or 46, 5,500 Poles, including- 4 AK generals and
700 AK officers, were still in a large camp at Bass. Most of then probably
are still there.
Disnosjtion of the Soviet Population
14. dicer the war ended there was great disillusionment. This was especially
t',roa among the Soviet soldiers who bad been treated unjustly. Repatriated
from the west, they were placed in workers' batellions where the discipline
was very stiff. Their food eras no better than that of the Polish prisoners'
but their working norms were higher. Intelligent elements and officers often
also worked in the camps. When they were taken from Germany they were told
tall tales about the future. Thus they are now filled with hatred, for the
authorities. They sow discontent and a whisperin' eenpaign against the regime
is going on. They work lasily and sloppily, and often there is sabotage, with
destruction of tools and materiel and stealing. Politically they are a very
conscious element. Anti-Semitism is strong among ths'.
15. During the summer and autumn of 45 robber bane started roaming the country.
In the Stal.inogorsk region a few higher officers of the NKGB were murdered.
Rumors among the local population are eagerly hunted and received. They see
their only salvation in a war between the USSR on one side and the US and
Great Britain on the of er. Al]. are convinced that nowhere else in the world
is life as bad as in the USSR. The reputation of the US is immense. During
the war the population saw many US goods whose quality was far superior to
Russian. The Soviet masses are drawn to the picture of the US, with the free-
dom and wealth of its citizens. It is.hard to conceive that the USSR could
push its masses against the US an they were able to stir them against the
Germans.
16. Those who were in Poland speak well of the Poles. In 191;6 Soviet efforts to
create hatred of Britain could be seen. This campaign was intensified in the
press and radio after Churchill's Fulton, Hissouri speech. During this time
t e masses lived in the conviction t:? t vor waas imminent. They grayer' for it.
When a plans appeared on the horisen, they looked eagerly to see if it was a
foreign one. The people saw that what the USSR had been tolling then for yeere
was all lies.
17. Poverty, terror, and insustioe are an the increase. The 1945 crops ramatued in
the fields not only because of the manpower shortage but because of the hatred
of the "kolehozai.ki" who reoeiv4; 00 little grain for their hard zxirt,. Vie;
Primitive methods
have to steal from the State allotments in order to live
.
produce very small crops even from the very rich lands. There is a severe shortage
of livestock. particularly horses and cattle. In 1946 prices continued to climb;
cell them for food.
-end-
This This document contains information
affecting the national defense of the
United States within the sag of the
Espionage Act, 50, U.S.C. 31 and 32, as amended. Its j,rane-,,
missioraau or the rwvelatl.on of its v intente_in argxs