Maria Heinrichovna'sly lived in the village of GRIMM, canton of KAMENKA, in the Autonomous Republic of the Volga Germans. Her father, Heinrich Yakovlevich WITMAN (1895-1937) was a work team leader in the tobacco cultivation. He was arrested on 19.11.37 and taken to ENGELS. Then they sent him to SARATOV, where he was shot dead in accordance with the decision of the Troyka.
The family was deported by the Communists from GRIMM on 18.09.41:
They were to get off the train outside Kansk, in NIZHNI INGASH (district town). From there they were taken another 30 km further (in the direction of Tugusha and Juzhno-Alexan-drovka), to the village of KASYANOVO, in the NIZHNE-INGASHSK district, KRASNOYARSK region.
In spring 1942 they were taken to KRASNOYARSK by train, then by ship to the north, to EVENKIA on the river NIZHNAYA TUNGUSKA. At first they were sent to the settlement of HIDYMKAN, not far from TURA, for fishing, then even further to the north, to the settlement of ESSEY, to a lake of the same name, not far from the river KOTUY (Khatanga). There the exiles worked in the fish cannery.
They were able to move over to TURA only in 1946 and remained under military command until 18.01.56.
Nov. 10, 1994, recorded by V.S. Birger, Krasnoyarsk, "Memorial" society