In 1943, there were 150 farms in the village of Staje, 60 of which belonged to Poles.

In early November 1943, Ukrainians murdered their compatriot Stefan Kril for his opposition to the murder of Poles. The case was investigated by the Ukrainian police and as a result of the proceedings, the Poles were blamed for the murder. Consequently, two weeks after Kril's manifest funeral, on 15.11.1943, the Ukrainians carried out a reprisal action against the Poles - 10 men were shot in a meadow outside the village, but one of them managed to escape. They were all buried in a common grave in the cemetery in Staje. A priest from the Machnówek parish was present at the funeral. A few months later, on 20-25 March 1944, the Ukrainian army attacked the village, looted Polish farms, burned most of them and murdered at least 30 people. Most of the victims of this attack were buried in the local cemetery, but already without a priest.

In the cemetery, to the right of the entrance, there is a mass grave of UPA victims. It is unnamed, so it is not known whether the victims murdered in 1943 or 1944 are buried there. The grave field is framed by a concrete kerb, grey gravel has been laid in the middle; in the centre of the grave stands a tall wooden cross, which was replaced with a new one in 2021. The replacement of the cross was carried out by the Association for the Ulhówek Municipality "Robim co możem".