In 1942 he was deported to Germany from Kiev to perform forced labour and fled the Rheinmetall-Borsig company camp in Sömmerda. The Gestapo committed him to Buchenwald in November of the same year. He had connections to the camp resistance and made use of them for his work in block 8.
‘In my consultations with Franz, I often touched on the subject of how to keep the children occupied. And so we decided—despite the great risk to us and the boys—to set up an illegal school … Nikolaj Wasiljewitsch drew up a curriculum that provided for lessons during the week; Sunday was lesson-free … From that day forward, the daily schedule in the block was as follows: wake up, fall in, roll call carried out by the [SS] block officer, morning gymnastics led by Pjotr, toilet, breakfast, 5 hours of instruction with breaks.’
Wladimir Cholopzew, letter to the Buchenwald Memorial, June 1975
