Khaibakh massacre was the mass murder of the Chechen civilian population of the '' aul '' ( village ) Khaibakh , in the mountainous part of Chechnya , by Soviet forces during the deportations of 1944 on 27 February 1944 . The massacre took place on 27 February 1944 during Operation Lentil ( the Soviet mass deportation of Chechens to prison camps in Central Asia ) . Due to inclement weather it was impossible to convoy Chechen deportees to the railway stations by the deadline set by Beria , resulting in over 700 villagers , including " non-transportable " elderly , pregnant women and small children , were locked in a stable fortified with dry hay and burned alive ; those who broke from burning stable were shot . One of the witnesses assigned to the military unit , interpreter , recalls that NKVD commander Gvishiani called the two newborn children in the stable " bandits " before ordering to burn the 204 people alive . After the incident , Gveshiani was reportedly congratulated for his success and good work by Lavrenty Beria , who promised him a medal
deportations of 1944
Deportation of the Chechens and Ingush
Khaibakh massacre