Богдан Сенета

«The beginning of May came, it was early in May. We were reported to be transported to the station of L’viv to Pullman cars. First we shipped all of our products, they were in bags. There was flour, grains and bread crumbs there, all that was permitted. First we loaded all the things. We were put to a Pullman carriage. In this Pullman…, how many families could be there? There could be 10 families in one carriage, another 10 families in the other carriage. There was also a booth there, it was a toilet. Even in that carriage, they transported the people. As the people learned that I am a priest, they told me to serve the public prayer – the public prayer to the Mother of God, to Christ's heart, to the happy journey, to the Lord’s guard. And it was permitted as well. Our journey lasted about a month. Late in May, at the beginning of June, we were brought to Asino. It was where the railroad ended. In Asino there were only barracks.»

«The district militia inspectors and the KGB came. There were Odnolyetko and Yerefeev there. The others were not known. I was always told to come to the executive committee in Gorodok. Somehow I got myself out. And on 12 March (it was after the elections, for it was Sunday) the head of the KGB with the soldiers came. The head was Yerefeyev. Just then I got into his hands. I went to L’viv, because of the bad road, the flood in the fields, I had to return home. When I came, there was already the garrison of soldiers in the house. I was clear that it was a search. They began to search my pockets and said, "Sit down; we've come to arrest you." There was the revision of the books there too. The books were of a religious and national content. Still, there was a photo of all the catechists of the seminary there. Moreover, a trident hung over us. So he wrote down that the books were of the Catholic and national content. Then he said: "We have to arrest you." They also took the Gospel. All the items were sealed there. There were the church things and the felon in the house. He said, "I will lock it up, it mustn’t be open. That is sealed." I was told to serve dinner to them. They ordered to bring a bottle of vodka and so on. The cart came. I accompanied by those soldiers sat in it and we headed for Gorodok.»

«We met there. There was the river and snags there. The snags were so big that the barracks were in them. There were birches around and a lot of mosquitoes. First we lay there for a day or two. And on the third day we were called to the so-called square. The chief and the brigadiers came up to us and said, "Here we have brought you and here you have to work. You have to work in the forest." Then he added, "All right. You had two days to relax, and on the third day you will be taken into the forest, where you will work. There you will saw wood, cut twigs and load." It took us over 1 hour to get to that work place. Later I looked – there were saws and axes. They said, "You have saws, you have axes, so do cut." It meant we had to cut trees. At first a stump had to be cleaned at the bottom with an axe and then cut a bit on the opposite side of its falling. There was no electric saw there. They were all handsaws. I was with one professor. He was a professor in the L’viv Philharmonic. I forgot his name. He came both with his wife and his daughter. He was very weak; sick of the lungs (he had only one lung). It was hard to him to work. But we worked, we cut. I remember this: there was a tree rather thick. He had no strength and nor did I. I said to him: "We should pray to St. Joseph. St. Joseph worked as a carpenter. Let him help us." At that moment the brigadier comes up to us and says, "All right. I will give you the extra man. You have to work, to saw. Do it with axe." We did it again and again, and the tree fell down. The brigadier says: "For that you will pay about a ruble and a half."»

«Later the district militia inspectors came. There was the tomb of our soldiers, Sich Riflemen there. It was being cleaned without light before the Easter. The tomb was already cleaned and the trident was made with flowers on it. On the next day the district inspector turned up in the village. He came and saw me and asked, "Who has done that?" I answered, “The people. How can I know who it was?” Then I added, "On Saturday that was not there. And now I do not know who it was.” So, they did no harm to me. They took the neighbors, those young guys and girls, for questioning. They bit them there and forced to write who had done that.»

«Later I was transferred to the other smaller barrack. There were already our people, even those, who had come from the Black Yar, students: Zheplynskyy, Chuchman. There were students. We lived much better there. Zheplynskyy was a bandura player. We organized the group to learn playing the bandura, the concerts were held. With those concerts they went to the other settlements and villages. Even with those concerts they went to Tomsk. The people rejoiced, "Bravo – they say, that is, - they are well done! Such concerts we have never heard of, never seen." Even the KGB members said, clapping "Oh, you are well done, you have performed well." The guys wore the national costumes – the wide trousers, embroidered shirts, belts. There were girls and guys, they were young. It was called Chapel of Bandurists. I was their chaplain and confessor and parish priest, I did everything. At Christmas we met in one house to Holy Supper. We bought something in the store. And there was some Lithuanian woman, who prepared varenykys, borsch for us. In the store we also bought herrings, canned food, and then we sang carols. It was fun.»