The German military occupiers began to search for Jews in Zelenchukskaya. They were assisted by the local police. The Jews were arrested and imprisoned in several local collective farms. The prisoners, mostly women and children, were held under guard and unable to escape. In autumn 1942, the Jews were forced to dig a pit at a spot north of the village, at Kruglaya Gora. On December 7, 1942, German soldiers and local policemen forced the Jews to march to the pit that they had dug in the autumn. According to eyewitnesses, the column of prisoners stretched for two kilometers, and those unable to walk were transported in carriages. When the Jews had arrived at the pit, the adults had to strip naked and stay in line. The German soldiers then shot them dead, one after another. Children were thrown into the pit alive. The grave was subsequently covered with soil. 180 Jewish people were murdered on that day.

More information: Yad Vashem