by Giovanna Salvucci, PhD
On September 3, 1943, the director of the Urbisaglia camp informed the Macerata Police Headquarters of the arrival of a young Ukrainian refugee: Nicola ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐, a Ukrainian refugee, who had arrived in Italy following the retreating Italian troops of the ARMIR. The documents state that Nicola, a twenty-year-old violinist, was born in Zarizin (Saparosic).
Nicholas almost certainly came from the region of Zaporizhia (approximated as “Saparosic”), while the specific place of birthโZarizinโis likely the result of an official’s mistake, confusing the location with the well-known Russian city of Tsaritsyn (Stalingrad/Volgograd).
Zaporizhia was occupied by German forces in the autumn of 1941. The occupation of Zaporizhia was a period of ruthless economic exploitation and brutal racial and political persecution, resulting in the deaths and deportations of thousands of civilians. The civilian population suffered from hunger and severe shortages of essential goods due to German requisitions and the disorganization of city life.
Although limited to just four documents, the โNicola Tiuppaโ file, held at the State Archives of Macerata, is sufficient to reveal the horrors Nicola experienced in his hometown.
From the โSojourn of Foreigners in Italyโ form, filled out in Urbisaglia on 13 September 1943, it appears that Nicola was an orphan of both parents. The purpose of his presence in Italy was clearly stated: to “escape the war” and remain “waiting for the end of the war.”
Fate proved cruel: the violinist obtained his residence permit just before the German occupation of Macerata, an event that triggered a period of fierce fighting that lasted until the summer of 1944. His homeland, by contrast, had already experienced liberation on October 14, 1943.
Nicola’s fate after the closure of the Urbisaglia camp in October 1943 remains unknown: he may have been a victim of German troops, an Allied bombing, or he may have managed to survive by wandering through our countryside.
The current, dramatic war underway in Zaporizhia unfortunately prevents us from accessing his archives and, therefore, from shedding light on Nicola’s fate. We do not know whether the young musician, after crossing half of Europe in search of peace, managed to return home and continue playing his violin.
We only know that we’re still waiting for the war to end.
