World War II placed a heavy burden on the shoulders of the population of the city . The first axis forces to arrive were Italians , followed by the Germans . The Soviet commanders had retreated prior to the arrival of these forces , having executed many young men in order to " avoid handing them over to the enemy " . The German forces proceeded to extract and transfer many civilians by train to forced labor camps in Austria . Many residents defended their hometown . 8295 Soviet soldiers perished on the battlefield , and 4788 residents of the town were killed in World War II . In February 1943 there happened the Massacre of Grischino
Massacre of Grischino
Massacre of Grischino
Pokrovsk, Ukraine