grandparents survived holodomor and nazi concentration camps. they even knew stalin was a bigger monster than they portrayed hitler to be. no gas chambers. those were delousing chambers. lice was a huge problem. cut grandmother's hair off because of it. inhabitants were used as workers.. either farming or the factories. why slaughter perfectly good slave labor? starvation and disease killed enough people as is. conditions only worsened as the war continued and resources became scarce. the act of liberation claimed more lives as people starved to death during that time period. people eventually transferred to DP camps. those who got on bus back to soviet union ended up murdered by stalin as alleged spies. he was a paranoid piece of shit.