He Was

My great-grandfather was Alexander Gass.

He was German by origin — from a family of Germans who settled in Ukraine as early as the 19th century. Such families lived and worked here for generations, considering Ukraine their home.

During the Stalinist repressions, national origin became grounds for accusations. Germans were persecuted on a mass scale, labeled “unreliable,” “enemies of the people,” or “spies” — without evidence and without trial. In 1937–1938, thousands of people were arrested and executed by decisions of the so-called NKVD “troikas.”

My great-grandfather was executed in 1938.

In archival documents, he is recorded as Alexander Ivanovich.

Most likely, his father’s name was Johann — a name that was Russified in Soviet records and turned into “Ivan,” with the patronymic becoming “Ivanovich.” In this way, a German name disappeared, made formally “acceptable” to the system.

This is a photograph of a man whose life, name, and voice were taken away.

And whom we are returning today — to memory and to the history of our family.