KHATYN, BELARUS IS NOTED FOR THE "KHATYN MASSACRE"...

KHATYN WAS A SMALL VILLAGE OF 26 HOUSES AND 157 INHABITANTS, LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES FROM MINSK IN LAHOYSK 

RAION, MINSK REGION...

ON MARCH 22, 1943 ALMOST THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE VILLAGE WAS MASSACRED BY THE SCHUTZMANN SCHAFT 

BATTALION 118 IN RETALIATION FOR AN ATTACK ON GERMAN TROOPS BY SOVIET PARTISANS...

THE BATTALION WAS COMPOSED OF PRIMARILY UKRAINIAN NATIONALIST NAZI COLLABORATORS AND ASSISTED BY THE 

DIRLEWANGER WAFFEN SS SPECIAL BATTALION...

IN WW2, BELARUS HAD 5,295 SETTLEMENTS BURNED AND DESTROYED BY THE NAZIS...

ALTOGETHER, OVER 2 MILLION BELORUSSIANS WERE KILLED DURING ITS THREE YEARS OF OCCUPATION...

ON MARCH 22ND, 1943 A GERMAN CONVOY WAS ATTACKED BY SOVIET PARTISANS ABOUT 6 MILES FROM KHATYN...

THE BATTALION COMMANDER AND FOUR POLICE OFFICERS WERE KILLED IN THE ATTACK...

TROOPS FROM THE DIRLEWANGER BRIGADE, MOSTLY COMPOSED OF CRIMINALS RECRUITED FOR NAZI SECURITY 

WARFARE, ENTERED THE VILLAGE, ROUNDED UP ALL OF THE INHABITANTS AND PLACED THEM IN A SHED...THE SHED WAS 

COVERED WITH STRAW AND THEN SET ON FIRE...

AROUND 149 PEOPLE INCLUDING 75 CHILDEREN UNDER THE AGE OF 16 WERE MASSACRED...

THERE WERE ONLY 8 SURVIVORS...

POST WAR TRIALS WERE HELD AND PARTICIPANTS OF THE MASSACRE WERE CONVICTED AND EXECUTED FROM THE END 

OF THE WAR, WITH THE LAST PARTICIPENT BEING EXECUTED AS LATE AS 1987...

THIS PIN DEPICTS THE BELL OF THE BELL TOWER IN THE TOWN OF KHATYN...