VOICED: Auschwitz haunts Soviet veteran on eve of liberation anniversary

Martinez Keane, a Red Army soldier, arrived at Auschwitz 65 years ago, witnessing the liberation of prisoners who had endured unimaginable horrors. Initially believing it to be a regular prison, the soldiers later realized the camp's true purpose as a site of systematic extermination. The discovery of the ovens, initially thought to be crematoriums, revealed the grim reality of the Holocaust. The experience left a lasting impact on those who witnessed it, with vivid memories of the joy of liberation and the horrors of the camp.

What was the initial reaction of the prisoners when they were liberated by the Red Army?

• They were joyful despite their exhaustion.

• They were confused.

• They were indifferent.

• They were angry.

What did the soldiers initially believe about the camp they were liberating?

• It was a military base.

• It was a regular prison.

• It was a hospital.

• It was a refugee camp.

How many people, mostly Jews, died at the Auschwitz Birkenau camp?

• Less than a hundred thousand.

• Exactly one million.

• More than a million.

• About five hundred thousand.

What did the soldiers initially think the ovens at Auschwitz were used for?

• Cooking meals.

• Baking bread.

• Heating the camp.

• Cremating the dead.

What realization did the soldiers come to about the ovens at Auschwitz?

• They were part of a systematic extermination plan.

• They were used for cooking.

• They were used for heating.

• They were never used.