[The Ukrainians] murdered about 50 Poles in the village and about 50 others during their escape (fleeing on 8 carts and Stefan Żurawski's family of 4). „Tadeusz, together with his mother and little brother, had to flee. They took refuge with a neighbor, Mr. Grzyb, who lives near the school. Already in the evening it turned out that the threats were real — while escaping, they saw the glow of burning houses from the windows. Together with the large Grzyb family, they packed on a wagon. The boys fit into the cart, there was no room for the mother — she had to run alongside. They fled through the fields to befriended The Ukrainians who took them in for the night. They welcomed them cordially, although it was associated with a great risk. — That same night, a gang of The Ukrainians who were murdering Poles stayed in this house. We were separated by a wall. If they found us, our hosts and us would die, says Fr Żurawski. So in the morning they went on. They wanted to go to Janowa Dolina, where many Poles lived. Ukrainian friends, however, advised to go towards Huta Stepańska. There were more and more runaways, more carts joined in. There were about 10 cars. However, there were no safe roads in Volhynia at that time. The Banderites on horses followed the escaping ones. They managed to herd the carts into the meadow, where they were easy targets. — I saw them drive up to the carts and kill the escaped with axes. We took the cross from the house, my mother told me to hold it above my head, so I covered myself with this cross. The Ukrainians probably did not dare to hit the hands holding the cross — recalls Fr Żurawski. Few survived the pursuit. — Only us and another wagon managed to escape. They surrounded the other wagons, probably killed all of them. For now, they were satisfied with them, they did not pursue us, says the priest. The escapees reached the forest, but were still not safe. First they hid in the forester's lodge, from where they had to escape in the evening, this time leaving all their belongings. In the forest, they met their family — Stefan, their father's brother, with his wife and two young children. They wandered a little further into the forest in order not to pose a threat, as the crying of small children could attract the Bandera followers. — In the night I only heard a terrible scream. And then it was quiet. They stayed there forever, because no one had the courage to go and bury them — recalls Fr Tadeusz. So they set off in search of larger cities. On the way, they saw burned houses and traces of crimes. They reached Cumania, where the German post was located”.

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

source: Lewandowska Anna, „Fr. Tadeusz Żurawski: In the case of Volhynia, people need humble hearts”; in: portal: Vilnius Courier, in: September 30, 2016 — web page: kurierwilenski.lt [accessible: 2016.09.30]

Żurawski Aleksander 1917 – April 2, 1943 (murdered in Polanówka).

source: Żurek Stanisław, „75th anniversary of the genocide – April 1943”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: btx.home.pl [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: „Polanówka village”; in: portal: Volhynia pages — web page: free.of.pl [accessible: 2021.04.11]

Sheaf (a young woman in high pregnancy, her name unknown), was burnt alive in a barn together with other Poles near Janowa Dolina or in Polanówka. date unknown. 1943. Marianna Pietrzykowska, widow of Antoni Pietrzykowski and Snopek Stanisław, murdered near Janowa Dolina or Polanówka. She lives in Kol. Polanówka. community Derażne. Szabelska Barbara – a few years old girl and her little sister with an unknown name. Place unknown, but in the Derażne commune. They lived in Kol. Polanówka.

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

source: Stefaniak Janina; in: portal: stankiewicze.com — web page: www.stankiewicze.com [accessible: 2013.07.11]

I address all those who saw or heard how they were and exactly where they were murdered: Pietrzykowska Marianna – primo voto Snopek (seen with her head cut open, but where it was not disclosed). It could have been Kol. Polanówka or its vicinity, or somewhere near Janowa Dolina, as many Poles from Polanówka took refuge there, believing that they would survive there. It was my grandmother. Her daughter–in–law also died, and my aunt – a young woman in high pregnancy. It is known that she was burnt alive in a barn, perhaps it was Polanówka, perhaps somewhere near Janowa Dolina. In Janowa Dolina itself, as I found out, there was no barn, because it was a town. Otylia Szabelska née Snopek from Kol. Polanówka commune Derażne left for safety her two little daughters with certain people, whom we could not identify. The children have disappeared without a trace. Who knows anything about them? Sheaf (a young woman in high pregnancy, her name unknown), was burnt alive in a barn with other Poles near Janowa Dolina or in Polanówka. date unknown. 1943. Marianna Pietrzykowska – first voting Snopek, widow of Antoni Pietrzykowski and Snopek Stanisław, murdered in the vicinity of Janowa Dolina or Polanówka. She lives in Kol. Polanówka. community Derażne. Szabelska Barbara – a little girl and her little sister with an unknown name. Place unknown, but in the Derażne commune. They lived in Kol. Polanówka. widow of Antoni Pietrzykowski and Snopek Stanisław, murdered in the vicinity of Janowa Dolina or Polanówka. She lives in Kol. Polanówka. community Derażne. Szabelska Barbara – a few years old girl and her little sister with an unknown name. Place unknown, but in the Derażne commune. They lived in Kol. Polanówka. widow of Antoni Pietrzykowski and Snopek Stanisław, murdered near Janowa Dolina or Polanówka. She lives in Kol. Polanówka. community Derażne. Szabelska Barbara – a few years old girl and her little sister with an unknown name. Place unknown, but in the Derażne commune. They lived in Kol. Polanówka.

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

source: Stefaniak Janina