Antrojo pasaulinio karo aukų masinė kapavietė Šiaulių miesto teritorijoje

LT2020 m. Šiaulių miesto savivaldybės administracija užsakė atlikti detaliuosius tyrimus, kurių metu būtų ekshumuoti palaidojimai bei patikslintos Š ir R palaidojimų vietos ribos 2018 m. aptiktoje masinėje kapavietėje Šiaulių miesto teritorijoje. Darbus atliko KVGT ir mažoji bendrija „Arksaika“. Iki 1930 m. teritorija, kurioje vyko tyrimai, priklausė Zoknių dvarui, minimam istoriniuose šaltiniuose nuo XVI a. 1931 m. buvusio dvaro laukuose, kur dėl žvyringo grunto nesilaikydavo vanduo, įrengtas aerodromas. Nuo 1945 iki 1947 m. Šiaulių apskrityje veikė (Šiaulių) karo belaisvių lageris Nr. 294. Bačiūnuose, šalia Rėkyvos ežero, buvo įkurtas 2-as lagerio skyrius. Dar vienas skyrius (6) veikė Šiaulių mieste. Ekshumuoti masiniai kapai yra II Pasaulinio karo laikotarpio, tačiau tikslesnės jų atsiradimo aplinkybės nėra žinomos. 1944 m. aerofotonuotraukose matyti, jog tyrimų vietoje buvo nedidelis miškelis arba krūmais apaugusi teritorija. 2018 ir 2019 m. suardytų kapų vietose tyrimus atliko M. Petkus (ATL 2019 metais, 2020, p. 526). Jų metu ištirtos 5 5x2 m dydžio perkasos, kurių bendras plotas 50 m2, bei žvalgyta apie 455 m2 ploto teritorija. Lokalizuota II Pasaulinio karo aukų palaidojimo vieta, atidengtos 35 kapų duobės. [...]. [Iš teksto, p. 613]

ENIn 2020, area 1, measuring 1561.5 m2, was excavated, revealing 96 graves containing the remains of victims of the Second World War. A total of 728 remains were exhumed. An exploratory excavation to the N and E of Area 1 consisted of 8 test pits (5 x 2 m) and an investigation into a soil deposit. Seven irregular rows of graves were uncovered during the exhumation process, consisting of 67 mass and 29 individual graves. Mass graves measured from 2.55 x 1.7 m to 7 x 4 m, and individual graves were approximately 1.55 x 0.55 m in size. Evidence of disturbance during previous mechanized earthworks was encountered in 6 graves (1, 31, 66, 94–96). The mass graves contained between 2 and 152 remains. The bodies were usually discarded randomly, as evidenced by the entanglement of limbs, and it is likely that bodies were thrown in several at a time. Signs of orderly burials were less frequent, and were evidenced by attempts to adjust arm and leg positions but with no consistency in head orientation. In summary of the anthropological data, the remains belonged to males aged 15–50. The reconstructed height of the deceased ranged from 152.8 to 183 cm. Various perimortem bone fractures were identified – most commonly scapular fractures that showed signs of healing. The skulls of the deceased exhibited gunshot injuries ranging from 1 to 3 in each cranium. Additionally, the inner surfaces of the craniums exhibited inflammation-related changes, along with various pathologies associated with physical labour. Alongside the 728 remains, archaeologists found 225 prisoner of war identification tags issued by Nazi Germany to enemy soldiers held in detention camps during the Second World War. Additionally, 52 Red Army identification capsules were recovered.Other finds included fragments of leather belts and pieces of clothing, footwear, metal crosses, icons, mirrors, and home-made knives. The obverses of buttons demonstrated the Vytis, the Rising Sun of Latvia, Estonian lions, the Polish eagle, or the five-point star of the Soviet Union. A total of 103 finds were recovered and transferred to the Šiauliai Musuem. Unrecorded, poorly preserved items with no intrinsic historical value were re-buried alongside the remains. After examination, the bones were re-buried at the Ginkūnai cemetery, in a plot assigned by the Šiauliai City Municipality. [From the publication]