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Внучка палача попросила прощения у правнука убитого им человека. Правнук в ответ протянул руку примирения и предложил «обнулить» ситуацию, полагая покончить, тем самым, с этой бесконечной российской гражданской войной.

KARAGODIN Investigation – KARAGODIN.ORG

On the night of November 19-20, 2016, we received a letter from ZYORYANOV‘s granddaughter Nikolai Ivanovich, the executioner of the Tomsk City Department of the NKVD who killed KARAGODIN Stepan Ivanovich, and at least 35 people more on January 21, 1938 in the city of Tomsk.

In her letter, Julia (the name is used with her permission) reported that she learned about who her grandfather was only from our publication, which cast her into the deepest shock. Trying to recover from the devastating news, she began to study the materials of the site of the INVESTIGATION in details, but after reading our third publication (see the second), she could not stand it and wrote a letter to us.

In her letter Julia writes (with the permission of the author excerpts from the letter are being published):

«I have not slept for several days, I just can’t… I’ve studied all the materials, all the documents that you have on the site, I’ve had so many thoughts, retrospectively recalled… I understand that it’s not my fault, but I can’t express in words how I feel… »

«The father of my grandmother (my mother’s mother), my great-grandfather, was arrested and the arrest was based on the denunciation, the same years as your great-grandfather, and he never returned home. 4 daughters, left without their father; one of them was my grandmother, and she was the youngest … So Now it turned out that there are victims and hangmen in one family … It’s bitter to realize this, it’s very painful … But I will never disown from the history of my family, whatever it is.  The only thing that will help me to get over the shock is the knowledge of the fact that neither I, nor any of my relatives who I know, remember, and love, have nothing to do with the atrocities that occurred in those years…. »

«The sorrow that those people have brought can’t be redeemed … The task of the coming generations is not to hush up as all things and events must be called their names. And the purpose of my letter is simply to tell you that now, when I know about such a disgraceful page in the history of my family, I totally understand you and I am on your side. »

«But we will never change anything in our society unless we open the whole truth.» It’s not a coincidence that Stalinists (followers of Stalin’s ideas), new memorials to Stalin started to appear again. This just does not fit in my head, This cannot be comprehended».

«I would want to say a lot more, but the main thing is that I’m very ashamed of everything, it just hurts me physically. It’s bitter that I cannot fix anything but can only confess to you about N.I. Zyryanov and me being relatives, and to remember your great-grandfather in the church. »

«Thank you for the great work that has been done, for truth, though bitter one but truth.» There is a hope that society will become sober thanks to people like you. Thank you again and forgive me!«

She sent a letter, and attached to this letter was a photo of Nikolai Ivanovich ZYRYANOV, the NKVD executioner, and his passport and trade-union ticket of the USSR NKVD [those materials and information that we planned to find, and it would be found]. The letter with the attached documents had the following words «You will be wasting time, searching.»

In response, we sent Julia materials about her grandfather, when he was already a member of Soviet Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks,  (SUCP(b)) captain (hereinafter Major) of the Guard of Justice, Chairman of the Military Tribunal of the Red Army during  the period of World War II ….

And the following letter is below:

Внучке Зырянова Николая Ивановича – палача Томского Горотдела НКВД по НСО ЗСК СССР, убившего Степана Ивановича Карагодина 21 января 1938 года в городе Томске.

To the granddaughter of Nikolai Ivanovich Zyryanov – the executioner of the Tomsk City Department of the NKVD of the NSO of the USSR, who killed Stepan Ivanovich Karagodin on January 21, 1938 in the city of Tomsk.

Yuliya,

You wrote me a very sincere and heart touching letter. This is a very courageous act. I am sincerely grateful to you. I see that you are a wonderful person! I’m happy for what you are. And I am proud that I can write to you directly and be as sincere as you are. In my face, you will not find an enemy or an offender, only a man who once and for all will nullify this endless bloody Russian bath. This should be done once and for all. And I think that it is in our power to achieve this goal.

I offer you my hand of reconciliation, no matter how hard it is for me to do it now (remembering and knowing everything). I suggest that you reset the whole situation. You did the most important thing in your letter – you spoke from your heart and this is more than enough.

Live with a calm soul, and most importantly with a clear conscience. Neither I nor any of my relatives or friends will ever blame you for anything. You are a fine person — know this.

I heartily thank you…

I am glad that now I know one more wonderful person – that is you.

Thank you!

Denis Karagodin

With great respect to you,
Denis Karagodin (great-grandson)

KARAGODIN.ORG

November 20, 2016
Tomsk, Russia.