The 2015 documentary The Road to Krasnostav (original title: Дорога на Красностав), directed by Julia Melamed, is a powerful historical and personal exploration centered on the "Holocaust by bullets" in Ukraine.
The Road to Krasnostav follows a group of descendants of Ukrainian Jews as they journey from Kyiv to several former shtetls—including Slavuta, Iziaslav, Berezdov, and Krasnostav—to uncover the history of their ancestors who perished during the "Holocaust by bullets." Centering on Krasnostav, a once-vibrant town where 800 remaining Jewish residents were executed by German forces and local collaborators in August 1941, the film juxtaposes archival history with emotional firsthand accounts from two elderly local women who remember the pre-war era. Ultimately, the documentary serves as a profound investigation into memory, guilt, and the unsettling riddle of how close neighbors could turn into perpetrators, making its tragic historical themes universally relevant today.
Based on the documentary featured on the page, the follow-up segment "Road to Krasnostav. Afterword" serves as a poignant epilogue and genealogical companion to the main film. Produced by the Tsal Kaplun Foundation, this afterword deepens the exploration of the "Holocaust by bullets" in Krasnostav by visually weaving together intricate family trees, archival photographs, and portraits of the victims and their families. By focusing on these personal histories and preserving the specific identities of the Jewish residents who perished in August 1941, the segment provides essential historical context and serves as a lasting tribute to the families who once made up the heart of the town's vibrant pre-war community.