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Partisan attack on Seitajärvi village 1944

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Location: Seitajärvi, Savukoski, Suomimap
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Contents

Narrative

A band of 152 Russian Partisans [1] attacked Seitajärvi village at 3 am 7 Jul 1944 while the occupants were sleeping. [2]

The protection unit of six soldiers were taken by surprise. Two of the soldiers went out to investigate why the dogs were barking and were taken prisoners. They were later executed by the partisans. Simo Parikka was killed fighting the partisans and Aaltovirta, Arajärvi and Pulska were wounded. Auno Pulska, husband of Elli Arajärvi, died from his wounds 5 hours later.

Abiel and Miina woke up when the dogs were barking and went out in the yard together with Maila and Pekka to investigate what was happening. When the shooting started, they ran into the barn to hide, not realizing before the partisans were in the yard that the two younger girls had stayed in bed sleeping. When Katri and Maija-Liisa woke up to the commotion they strolled into the yard where they were taken prisoner.

Jalmari and Miina were taken by surprise in the yard with some of their children. The rest of the girls were lured from their hiding places, together with Eliisi Ollila and Leila Ylilokka who were sleeping over in Matti's house, by a female pertisan speaking perfect Finnish. Matti himself had managed to hide in the barn as well.

The Ollila family were for the first time this summer sleeping in their summer place in the stable. They woke up to the gun fire from the center of the village and saw partisans in the yard peeking through the windows into their now empty house. They decided to escape through the manure hatch in the back of the stable. Marja, Sirkka, Yrjö and Soini managed to escape although the partisans were shooting at them. They ran all the way to the next village where they alerted the military that Seitajärvi was under attack. 16 year old Valtteri stayed behind but whether it was because he wanted to enable the escape of his family or that he simply couldn't fit through the manure hatch is not known.

The Ylilokka residence was built far from the other houses and had not been found by the partisans. The family escaped by rowing over the lake when they heard gunshots from the center of the village.

The partisans started the march back east with their prisoners when most inhabitants had been gathered in the yard. During the march had both Jalmari Arajärvi and soldier Viljo Metso separately been taken deep into the forest and executed. After a few kilometers the prisoners came to a camp where the prisoners saw Valtteri Ollila. His sister Eliisi had been taken elsewhere during the march and soon Valtteri was also taken away. After the partisans had eaten, they started executing Aino and the girls. By a miracle Mirja survived despite being shot in the neck and stabbed twice in her chest. When the chasing company led by lieutenant Olavi Alakulppi came upon the execution site they were met with a gruesome sight.

Finnish civilians killed by Soviet partisans 7 July 1944
The victims were laid out in a row with genitals exposed or completely naked. The photo above was taken after the victims had been taken back to the village and covered up. The soldiers who saw the victims first were certain at least some of them had been raped, but an autopsy performed nine days later, after the bodies had been washed and started to decompose, deemed rape allegations inconclusive.

During the chase were 34 partisans killed, but most managed to escape back to Russia. Three days after the attack were Valtteri and Eliisi Ollila executed together with soldier Matti Niirainen. Their bones were found 1963 in Salla close to the Russian border.

In total were 181 Finnish civilians killed by partisans 1941-1944. [3]

In an interview recorded in 1987 [4], Olavi Alakulppi, who served in a unit specialized in combating partisans, said that he had tried to take partisan attacks to the UN commission investigating war crimes in 1949. The Soviet Union's UN ambassador vehemently denied that Soviet soldiers were responsible for the deaths of the civilian population and even questioned Alakulppi's war experiences on the Finnish front. Finland's UN ambassador did not comment on the report - which included photos, and the case was not investigated further. Olavi Alakulppi (1915-1990) later served in the United States Army and retired as a lieutenant-colonel 1968. He is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery

Veikko Erkkilä, who wrote the book Vaiettu Sota (The untold war) [5], based his book on war archives and extensive interviews with survivors and Finnish soldiers, as well as Russian partisans.

Inhabitants

Protection unit (soldiers)

Sources





Images: 2
Finnish civilians killed by Soviet partisans 7 July 1944
Finnish civilians killed by Soviet partisans 7 July 1944
Ritva Arajärvi
Ritva Arajärvi
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Comments: 3

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Vinny Feminella
Thank you for sharing this story. A powerful reminder of the second world war and its devastating effects on warriors and innocents alike. I am also related to the victims, a cousin of the Arajärvi's may they rest in peace...
posted by Vinny Feminella
[Living Blomfield]
I am so sorry for the losses of these innocent people and to that of the Profile Manager related to them. I agree also with Jacks comment above.
posted by [Living Blomfield]
Jack Hilton
Myy comment is that the Soviets/Russians are unchanged to this day! They are barbarians & murderers one and all! Look at the atrocities that they are committing (sp?) now in Ukraine are a repeat of the murder of the Finnish village! It's a horribile story!!!!! Jack MacDonald-Hilton from Worcester, Mass, USA.!
posted by Jack Hilton