Woman who survived Nazis and Soviets faces new hope
Anastasia Hulej, a former Auschwitz prisoner, shares her experiences of surviving under Hitler and Stalin, and her hope to endure Putin's era. Her story embodies strength and courage in the face of war.
Anastasia Hulej, who endured the horrors of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, narrates her extraordinary tale of survival. In an interview with the portal Sestry.eu, she reflects on the harsh experiences of World War II and the current situation in Europe.
Surviving the camps
In 1943, at the age of 17, Anastasia was forced into labor by the German occupiers. Despite efforts to hide, she was betrayed by her cousin's husband and sent to Katowice, where she worked unloading slag from railway cars. Shortly afterward, she attempted an escape, which ended in failure. She was captured in Rzeszów and taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In the camp, she witnessed mass extermination and brutal repression. Despite the hunger and hard labor, she never lost hope for a better tomorrow.
Dreams saved us. We dreamed of food and freedom, she recalls.
By the end of the war, she was transferred to Bergen-Belsen, where she survived a typhus epidemic. In 1945, the Allies liberated the camp.
After the war, Anastasia returned to Kyiv, where she faced judgment and lack of acceptance.
My classmates didn't want to be friends with me because of the number on my arm, she says.
In time, she began studying, started a family, and embarked on a new life.
The nightmare returned. She had to flee again
However, on February 24, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Anastasia had to flee once more. Traveling through Lviv and Poland, she reached Germany, where she was warmly welcomed.
I was no longer afraid of Germans, she emphasizes, adding that the younger generations of Germans are moved by her story.
We survived Hitler and Stalin, and we must survive Putin
Despite her challenging experiences, Anastasia Hulej remains hopeful for a better future.
We survived Hitler, we survived Stalin, so we simply must survive Putin, she states, emphasizing that in the modern world, there is no place for hatred.
