site.btaEyewitness Accounts, Photographs Preserved in Pleven Museum Reveal Fate of Jews from Concentration Camp Near Kaylaka

Eyewitness accounts and photographs, preserved in the Pleven Regional Regional Historical Museum, reveal the fate of the Jews from the concentration camp near Kaylaka, which was burnt down on the night of July 10-11, 1944, Desislava Bliznashka - Georgieva, head of department "New and Recent History" at the Museum, said in an interview with BTA.

As early as 1970, the museum received photographs, memories and documents from the Pleven branch of the Public Cultural and Educational Organization of Jews in Bulgaria to the Pleven Regional Historical Museum, Georgieva noted. 

According to her, another exceptional document from the museum's collection is a memoir by F. Polikar, a Yambol native, who gives an exceptionally emotional account of his life, his pains and joys during his time in the concentration camp in Kaylaka.

He came there in April 1944, when a total of 28 Jews were loaded from Yambol into a horse-drawn wagon and, under guard, traveled all night to the Pleven train station.

Long search procedures, interrogations and examinations followed, after which the Jews were taken to the camp "Tabakova Cheshma". In the following days a group came from Dupnitsa and Kyustendil. The room, which had been a barn converted into a bedroom, became even more were cramped inside. The regime is extremely strict, with checks three times a day and the food scarce. The yard was fenced with wire, and only certain persons went to fetch water, Polikar wrote in his memoirs.

He also tells of the construction of the camp at Kaylaka, which was then burned down, located on a wider site to accommodate more Jews, following the German model.

The new camp, also referred to as the "Valley of Death," was ready by July 1, built by younger Jews with materials taken from the other camps at Tabakova Cheshma and Somovit. In the beginning, the shack was only one, 12 meters long, with a narrow path of 70 cm in the middle, Polikar points out in his memoirs. He adds that there was only one door in and out, there was only one small window on each side, and the roof was made of thin boards and black tar paper. The shack was designed for 50 people, but actually housed 112 men, women, children and frail elderly. 

Eventually a second shack was built, but it housed the commandant and guards. 

On July 10, the punishment of Isaac Moshov, also known as the Master, expired. Polikar wrote about him that he was an incredibly erudite and intelligent person, a favorite of all the campers.

On the evening before his departure, a small celebration was organized in his honor, full of songs and wishes, which ended at 11:00 pm. Two hours after midnight everyone in the shack is awakened by a strange noise and cries of "Get up we're burning!". The exit is jammed with people. Shouts, wails are heard in the darkness. People search for their loved ones as they stumble over dead bodies. Among the wounded is 16-year-old Sami Polikar, son of F. Polikar. However, his burn wounds were fatal and he died. 

In just eight minutes, the fire claimed ten victims. Another 30 were crippled. In his memoirs, Polikar also mentions the names of the dead.

There is a memorial plaque at the site of the burnt camp in the present-day Kaylaka Park, where commemorations are held on the anniversary of the tragic incident.