During the attack, the Polish population fled to Huta Stepańska, there is no information about the victims. Polish farmsteads were plundered and burned – as in all villages and colonies around Huta Stepańska. „I have in my collection an account of how one of the Zahorujkos saved their neighbors hidden in the flax pit during the Ostrowski meal. He stood over the pit with a rifle and shouted: «no one is here», the trick (manhunt) went on. Another Zahorujków, Sierioża, married Jadzia Mokrzycka from Wyrka and was killed with her, he did not deny his wife. He was tall, very strong, brave, he served in the shutshafts, Poles remember him as a good man. These matters were explained in detail in a long interview to me by Mikołaj Zahorujk, one of the members of this family, mentioned at «White Cross». Ostrówki ceased to exist on the night of July 16–17, 1943 ”.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „75th anniversary of the genocide – July 1943”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: „The Trail of the Volhynia Crosses. Around Huta Stepańska with Janusz Horoszkiewicz”; in: portal: Fr Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski — web page: isakowicz.pl [accessible: 2021.04.11]

Ostrówki near Wyrki: I dedicate today's photo report to the memory of the late Colonel Stefan Wawrzynowicz, a native of Wyrka, who kept watch in Ostrówki during the night of the attack. He also told me about this colony. The Ukrainians with several families there took different attitudes towards Poles. Hryshchenko, three of the four brothers, became very active nationalists. They were responsible for the death of Lieutenant Jan Skiba, the commander of the self–defense of Wyrka. Fyodor was captured by the Hucians, imprisoned and shot. The second significant family of Zahorujkis adopted a neutral stance, although they went to the UPA with no other option, they served passively there. I have in my collection an account of how one of the Zahorujkos saved the neighbors hidden in the flax pit during the Ostrówek meal. They would stand over the pit with a rifle and shouted: „no one is here”, the leap (manhunt) went on. Another Zahorujków, Sierioża, married Jadzia Mokrzycka from Wyrka and was killed with her, he did not deny his wife. He was tall, very strong, brave, he served in the shutshafts, Poles remember him as a good man. These matters were explained in detail in a long interview to me by Mikołaj Zahorujk, one of the members of this family, mentioned at „White Cross”. Ostrówki ceased to exist on the night of July 16–17, 1943.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „75th anniversary of the genocide – July 1943”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: „The Trail of the Volhynia Crosses. Around Huta Stepańska with Janusz Horoszkiewicz”; in: portal: Fr Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski — web page: isakowicz.pl [accessible: 2021.04.11]