The inconspicuous entrance to the Verteba Cave.
Many churches and convents also offered sanctuary to Jews.
Some Jews hid in forests or caves, relying on the natural environment to stay concealed.
They faced harsh living conditions and constant danger from patrols.
TheVerteba Caveis part of an extensive system of gypsum caves spanning several kilometers of interconnected passageways.
The death blow for the Jews in Borshchiv came when the Nazis invaded Ukraine.
Other families soon joined them, bringing the total number of occupants to 28.
The tunnels inside the Verteba Cave.
They crafted wooden beds and tables to make it feel more like home.
A dental technician even set up a working station in the cave.
Initially, light was provided by candles, but these didnt last long.
The residents then created light using small bottles filled with kerosene, lit with a wick.
They became nocturnal, sleeping during the day and being active at night.
Each family had a designated person responsible for bringing food and provisions from the outside.
Over time, they found a solution for that too.
Their biggest immediate problem was water.
It was easier in winter because they could melt snow.
The Gestapo was informed, and several days later they stormed the cave.
Hearing the approaching soldiers, the fugitives moved deeper into the cave.
Christos Nicola reading the names written in Polish in Priests Grotto.
Then a villager pointed them to another cave, in a field that belonged to the parish priest.
This new cave had only one small opening and had to be entered feet first.
Inside, it was pitch black.
Beyond the hall, they found a large tunnel suitable for their camp.
Most importantly, they found underground freshwater lakes and no traces of human habitation.
The cave was perfect.
They brought furniture, down quilts and pillows, fuel, and supplies.
They even stole a millstone and used it to grind grains into flour.
However, the men dug another exit and created a camouflaged covering for it.
After living in the dark for hundreds of days, the sun hurt their eyes.
She was referring to the sun, which she could not remember having seen.
Bottles found in Verteba Cave.
Local residents told him about the Jews, but nobody seemed to know what had happened to them.
Their story was published in 2004 inNational Geographic Adventuremagazine.
