«<...> I DIDN'T WANT TO LIVE IN THE SOVIET UNION, I WANTED TO LIVE IN GERMANY. FOR THIS I WAS TAKING ACTIONS TO FLEE TO GERMANY <...>». PAGES OF LIFE OF YUTA GUSTAVIVNA KELM (LIDIA IVANIVNA KELMAN)

The article is devoted to the daughter of the German colonist Gustav Johannovych Kelm named Yuta Gustavivna Kelm, who in 1942 at the age of sixteen was taken from Pryluky city to Germany for forced labour. At first, the girl worked at a flax processing plant in Ohrdruf town for the period from July 1942 to August 1944. After a fire that caused the factory to stop, Yuta worked at «Olympia» factory in Erfurt, where typewriters were produced. Here the girl was working on a German font. In April 1944 she got German citizenship.
In May 1945, after arrival of American forces to Erfurt, Yuta went to a collection and transit center where she stayed for about 1.5-2 months. After the city became a part of the Soviet Zone of Occupation, Yuta, obtaining a passport with new data in the name of Lidiia Ivanivna Kelman, began to work as a freelance translator at the Army Grain Warehouse No. 3302 in Erfurt. Since October 1945, the girl worked at the buffet of the officers’ mess No. 29 of the Guards Corps of the Army Post Office No. 17995 «А”. In May 1946, she was transferred to the post of supply manager of a junior secondary school in the same military unit.
In January 1946, the girl went through the first filtration in the city of Gotha. In September 1946, she went through the second filtration at the camp No. 363 in the town of D beln.
The filtration documents indicate her dual data, namely, the surname – Kelman/Kelm, the name – Lidiia/Yuta, patronymic – Ivanivna/Gustavivna, and also it was recorded that the girl collaborated with the Gestapo. In order to find her relatives, the girl came to Pryluky city in October 1946.
In 1947, Yuta Gustavivna was sentenced to 10 years in prison. After the adoption of the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet dated September 17, 1955 «On amnesty of the Soviet citizens collaborating with occupants during the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945”, the young woman was released and her criminal record was canceled. She was rehabilitated in 1991.