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Volodarka

Posted by on Feb 27, 2023 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 1 comment

  Volodarka, an urban settlement, district capital in the Kyiv region.    In 1793, after the second division of Poland, Volodarka became part of the Russian Empire. In the 19th and early 20th century, Volodarka was a shtetl in Skvirsky county, Kyiv province. This article was translated by Maria Mafter. Jews lived in Volodarka from the 17th century. In 1750 the Jewish community was destroyed by the Haidamaks, and in 1768 the Jewish population was again plundered by the Haidamaks. In 1841 L. Abramovich founded a cloth factory. In 1863 there was a synagogue. In 1912 there was a Jewish savings and loan partnership. At the beginning of WWI, about 2,000 Jews and 5,000 Christians lived in the town. There were about 400 Jewish houses and 200 shops, five industrial enterprises owned by Jews, and several synagogues. Volodarka entrepreneurs...

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Borodyanka

Posted by on Feb 11, 2023 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 1 comment

  Borodyanka is an urban-type settlement (since 1957). In the XVI-XVIII centuries. – a place in the Kyiv povet (district) and voivodeship (province) at the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After the second partition of the Commonwealth (1793), the shtetl of Borodyanka was part of the Russian Empire. It was a shtetl in the Kyiv district, Kyiv province. This article was created by Anna Ponomarenko and the full version can be found here Anna interviewed more than 10 people and collFected all the information in the article. Below is just a small part of the collected information. Article was translated by Daniel Pesin. The Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron says that Jews began to settle in Borodyanka in the 18th study, until 1765. Their colony was called Mariyampol. About 300 Jewish families lived in Borodyanka at the beginning of...

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Gornostaypol

Posted by on Jul 13, 2022 in Kiev region | 0 comments

Gornostaypol is a village in Ivankov district of Kiev region.  The population of Gornostaypol was 1061 people in 2001. The shtetl has been known since the year 1493. It became part of the Russian Empire in 1793. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the shtetl was part of the Radomysl district, Kyiv province. I visited the former shtetl in 2018; I managed to interview the local resident Olena Dimitrovna Ovsyanik, who was born in 1938. She told me some facts about the post-war Jews of Gornostaypol (or Gornostaipol). Article was translated by Daniel Pesin. My locationGet Directions In 1863, the shtetl had a synagogue. From 1898, the rabbi was Chaim Men. In the second half of the 19th century, Rav Mordechai Dov (son of Meshulam Zusya Itshak) settled in Gornostaypol and started his Hassidic dynasty. His sons escaped from...

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Liubashevka

Posted by on Sep 6, 2020 in Kiev region, Odessa region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Любашівка(Ukrainian), Любашевка(Russian) Liubashevka is an urban-type settlement, a district centre in the Odessa region of Ukraine. In the 19th to early-20th centuries, it was a village in the Ananyev Uyezd of the Kherson gubernia. Unfortunately, I didn’t find much information about Liubashevka Jews’ life before WWII. In 2018, we visited the former shtetl during our summer expedition and didn’t find Jews there. Most information for this article was provided by a local teacher Valeriy Bondarenko (see video below). My locationGet Directions Unfortunately, I didn’t find much information about Jew of Liubashevka before WWII. The settlement was founded in the late 18th century. It is known that 180 Jews (26%) of the total population) lived there in 1868. Since 1895, the Liubashevka  rabbi was Shmuel-Zeev Shekhter (1875–?). In 1914, the only drugstore in the town belonged to a Jew. During In the Civil War period...

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Ladyzhinka

Posted by on Jul 11, 2020 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Ладижинка (Ukrainian) Ladyzhinka is a village in Uman district, Cherkassy region. Since 1726 it was a part of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1793, it was incorporated into the Russian Empire. In the XIX – early XX centuries, it was a shtetl in Uman uyezd, Kiev gubernia. Beginning Jews lived in Ladyzhinka from the XVIII century. In 1795, the Jewish community consisted of 400 people. My locationGet Directions In the second half of the XIX century, the village grew into a town, and craftsmen began to settle there, particularly tailors, weavers and blacksmiths, who were mostly Jews. They lived in the center of the town, built houses and shops there and a few wealthy families were tenants. There were also three inns in Ladyzhinka and the owners were Jews. The population consisted of 1,470 Orthodox Christians, 12 Roman Catholics...

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Piatigory

Posted by on May 2, 2019 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Пятигоры (Russian), П’ятигори (Ukrainian) Piatigory is a village in the Tetiyev district of Kiev region. In the XVI – XVIII centuries, it was a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Starting in 1793 it was in the Russian Empire. In the XIX – early XX centuries, it was a shtetl of Tarascha uyezd, in the Kiev gubernia. My locationGet Directions In 1787, there were ten traders among the Jews. In 1873, a synagogue was functioning in Piatigory. In 1865 – 1910, Moyshe Lerman (? – 1910) was a rabbi in Piatigory. When M.Lerman had died his son Tsvi-Itskhok (1866 – ?) took his place and was a rabbi in the shtetl starting in 1910. In 1914, two synagogues were opened in Piatigory. There was a Jewish cemetery in the shtetl. Jewish population of Piatigory: 1847 – 603 Jews 1897 –...

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Gostomel

Posted by on Mar 28, 2019 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Hostoml (Polish), Гостомель – Hostomel, Hostomel’ (Ukrainian) Gostomel is a town in the Kiev region. In the XIX – early XX centuries, it was a shtetl of the Kiev uyezd, Kiev gubernia. Very little is known about Jewish history of this former shtetl. Some information on the post-war Jewish population of Gostomel was provided by Genia Mezhiritskaya, born in 1938. We met in Gostomel in spring 2018. My locationGet Directions Following the second partition of Poland in 1793, when the Russian Empire acquired vast swathes of Central Europe of what is now Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Lithuania and the pale of settlement was drawn, prohibiting Jews from settling anywhere in Russia outside of a restricted area, Kiev, even though geographically within the pale, was excluded from the list permitted settlements; Jews were not allowed to live there. They would...

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Vasilkov

Posted by on Dec 3, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 4 comments

Vasilkov is a city in Kiev region with a population, as of 2013, of 36,672. Vasilkov was incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1686 and belonged to the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery till 1785. In 1796, it became a center of the Vasilkov uyezd of Kiev gubernia. In 1648, Vasilkov was conquered by chmielnicki’s cossacks who massacred its inhabitants, Jews and Poles alike. Since Vasilkov was annexed to Russia in 1686 no Jewish community existed there until the second partition of Poland in 1792. My locationGet Directions Vasilkov was a Chasidic community and for some time David b. Nahum Twersky of Chernobyl lived there. The Jews in Vasilkov engaged in crafts, small-scale business, and worked in local tanneries. Vasilkov entrepreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directories by 1913: Jewish population of Vasilkov: 1799 – 1478 Jews 1802 – 1889 Jews 1861 – 2999...

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Kagarlik

Posted by on Nov 28, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 2 comments

Kagarlik has been a town since 1971, a district center of Kiev region. It’s history goes back to 1590. In the XVII – XVIII centuries Kagarlik was a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Kagarlik was incorporated into the Russian Empire since 1793. In the XIX and early XX centuries, it was a shtetl of Kiev uiezd, Kiev gubernia. Part of the information for this article was provided by Lubov Petrovna Tkachenko, who had been the head of the Kagarlik museum for 40 years. My locationGet Directions In the XIX – early XX centuries, most Jews of Kagarlik worked in crafts as well as the wholesale and retail trade. The town had market days and fairs where people could buy and sell cattle. Jews owned 83 industrial enterprises, shops, and bars. 15 factories out of 16 were owned by Jews....

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Rokitne

Posted by on Nov 26, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Rokitne is an urban-type settlement located on the Ros River in Kiev region. It is the administrative center of Rokytnianskyi district. In 2001, population was 13,790. In the XIX-early XX centuries, it was a shtetl Rakitne of Vasilkov uyezd, Kiev governorship. The town of Rokitne had already been known before 1518, owned at that time by Prince Ostrozkiit. In the XVII century, Rokitne was a remarkable settlement with a palace in it. In the mid of May 1648, Kazaks and Tatars captured Rakitnoye and destroyed the local Jewish community. In 1683, Rokitne belonged to landlord Gurskii. I couldn’t find any facts of the history of Jews in Rakitne from the pre-revolutionary period 🙁 In 1905, workers of Rakitne carried out a pogrom but it was put down by local peasants. Steven Dranow provided a memories of her grandmother Chasyia Dranov...

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Pereyaslav

Posted by on Sep 30, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 1 comment

Pereyaslav-Khmelnitskii (Pereyaslav by 1943) is a city of Kiev region, Ukraine. It was first mentioned in the chronicles in 906 and joined the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. It was incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1654. In the XIX-early XX centuries, it was a centr of Pereyaslav Uezd of Poltava gubernia. Most information for this article was taken from the book of Tsilya Gehtman “Jews of Pereyaslav”. Beginning Jews have been living in Pereyaslav-Khmelnitskii since the XVII century. In 1620, the Polish King received complaints from his citizens about a large number of Jews in the town and their active participation in trade. Jews were prohibited to trade and own breweries, malt houses, and distilleries. My locationGet Directions In 1623, the town council and the local Jews entered into an agreement about giving the Jews equal rights with other...

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Makarov

Posted by on Jul 23, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 2 comments

Makarov is a city, district center of Kiev region. The city’s estimated population is 11.860 (as of 2006). It is known since the early 17th century. In the XVII-XVIII centuries it was a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1793 it was incorporated into the Russian Empire. In the XIX and early XX centuries, it was a shtetl of Kiev uyezd (district) in Kiev gubernia.   Beginning According to some historical sources, Jews in Makarov appeared in the second part of the XVIII century. A synagogue was built there and it became the residence of one of the first rabbis of Kiev region. My locationGet Directions In 1754, a fact of beating several Jews by the local police was recorded in documents. Jewish population of Makarov: 1765 – 217 Jews 1852 – 1150Jews 1897 – 3953 (74%) 1926 – 582 (14%)...

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Obukhov

Posted by on Jul 11, 2017 in Kiev region | 0 comments

Obuchów (Polish), Обухів – Obukhiv (Ukrainian), Обухов – Obukhov (Russian) Obukhov is a town in Kiev region. Its population is 33,322 people in 2016. Before the revolution, it was a shtetl in Kiev uyezd of Kiev Gubernia. I couldn’t find any serious data concerning the history of Obukhov Jews. The materials from articles of local historian was used for this article. My locationGet Directions It is not known when Jews first settled in Obukhov. In the late XIX – early XX century there was a whole Jewish block in the old part of Obukhov. Today it is known as “Center”. Here Jews owned 72  establishments. Desciption of pogrom in Obukhov, 1881: The Jews traded in nearby shtetls such as Germanovka, Tripolie, and Cherniakhov. The Jewish merchants of the second and first guild lived in Obukhov. They owned stalls and...

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Yagotyn

Posted by on Jun 12, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Yagotin is a town in Kiev region, the center of Kiev district. It is situated on the river Supoy. According to the census of 2015, its population is 20,232 people. Before the revolution Yagotin was a shtetl of Piriatin uyezd, Poltava province. In 1957, the village Lisniaki was incorperated into Yagotin. In the pre-revolutionary period a considerable number of Jews were living in this village. In 1910, there were 34 Jewish families; which was 85% of the whole population. That is why the statistics on the actual size of the Jewish population throughout the history of Yagotin has been quite inaccurate. Some information for this article was taken from the interview of native of Yagotin Miron Manilov (1921-?) from centropa.org. Beginning Yahotyn was founded in 1552. At the end of XVII – beginning of the XIX century, Yahotyn, which...

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Ivankov

Posted by on Mar 18, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 2 comments

Ivankov is a city in Kiev region, center of Ivankov district. The city’s estimated population is 10,678 (as of 2012). Ivankov is located on the Teterev River, a tributary of the Dnieper. In XIX – beginning of XX century it was the shtetl of Radomyshl Uezd, Kiev Gubernia. Ivankov is approx. 80 km from Kiev and in 50 km from Chernobyl. Most data was taken from the publication of the head of Ivankov Jewish community Nelli Grigorovich “Born in shtetl”. In it, she organised various sources into a single narrative, interviewed dozens of people and collected hundreds of photos. Beginning A settlement has existed on the site of Ivankiv since ancient times. Originally named Trudynov, it became Pasynkovschina in 1524 and has been known as Ivaniv since 1589 (later Ivankiv) after the owner of the territory, Ivan Proskura. Jewish population of...

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Obraztsovaya

Posted by on Feb 27, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Obraztsovaya was a former Jewish Agricultural colony. It was located in territory which is now a part of Fastov, Kiev region, Ukraine. Information for this article was collected with the help of Fastov local historian Vladimir Dorosenko. It was founded in 1854 as a Jewish agricultural colony in Vasilkov district, Kiev province. In 1854, 15 Jewish families (263 people) lived in Obraztsovaya, in 1898 – seven Jewish families (35 people). The colony was built at the expense of Abraham Markovich Brodskiy. Every family was given 15.5 desiatine (appr.42.6 acres) of free state land. In 1875, there were 75 Jewish men in Obraztsovaya. The absence of experienced agriculturalists and lack of equipment and cattle made most of colonists lease their land. In 1898 – 1899, three families engaged in agriculture, two of them had horses. In 1900, the society of...

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Tarashcha

Posted by on Feb 27, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 16 comments

Tarashcha is a city located in Kiev region, center of Tarashcha district. The city’s estimated population is 13,307 (as of 2001). In XIX – beginning of XX century it was the center of Tarashcha Yezd (county) of Kiev Gubernia. Holocaust information was provided by local historial Leonid Lashenko. Much more information can be found in Yiddish book “Tarashcha, a History of a Small Shtetl in Kiev Guberniya”.  It was published in USA, 1930’s. Beginning A Jewish community has existed in Tarashcha since the mid-XVIII century. My locationGet Directions In 1722, Tarashcha received a status of a shtetl. In 1765, 134 Jews lived in Tarashcha. According to the lustration of 1789, the Jews owned 31 houses in the market and 41 houses in the side streets. City plan, 1826 City plan, 1913 By the early XIX century, more than 5,300...

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Kadlubitsa

Posted by on Feb 19, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 4 comments

Kadlubitsa is a former Jewish colony, now it is a part of Fastov, Kiev region. Before Revolution it was a Jewish agricultural colony in Vasilkov district, Kiev province. Since 1925, it’s been Kadlubitsa Jewish National village council of Fastov district, Belaya-Tserkov region. Information for this article was collected with the help of Fastov local historian Vladimir Dorosenko. Beginning Kadlubitsa was founded in 1850 as an agricultural colony by Jews from Fastov. According to a local legend, the name ‘Kadlubitsa’ comes from the word ‘kadosh’ (Hebrew – sacred). My locationGet Directions There were 29 households, 434 residents (207 men and 227 women) in 1900. Their main occupation was grain production. Some local Jews were engaged in trade and reselling goods, visiting fairs at nearby villages and towns. Jewish population of Kadlubitsa: 1859 – 430 Jews 1896 – 826 Jews 1906 –...

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Chervonianskaya

Posted by on Feb 14, 2017 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Chervonianskaya was a Jewish colony located nine kilometers from Fastov, in Kiev region. Now it was a village called Krasnoye, Fastov district. Before the Revolution it was a Jewish agricultural colony in Vasilkov uezd of Kiev gubernia. It was founded in 1851 on state land. In 1898, there were 44 Jewish families, 312 people. The residents had 378 dessiatines (1,040 acres) of land. The colony was destroyed during Denikin’s pogrom in 1919 but it was reestablished at the expense of AgroJoint (US funded) organization in the 1920’s. Several typical houses based on a American project were built here. During my visit in 2016 only one of those houses was preserved in its original appearance. I haven’t found any information about the Jews of Chervonianskaya colony after the 1920’s. In 2016, the locals didn’t even know that their village used to...

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Rzhyshchev

Posted by on Oct 31, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Rzyszczów (Polish), Ржищев – Rzhishchev (Russian), Ржищів – Rzhyschiv (Ukrainian), אורזישטשב , אורזיטשוב (Yiddish) Rzhyshchev is a town in Kiev regionof central Ukraine. The town’s estimated population is 7,519 (as of 2015). In XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Kiev Yezd of Kiev Gubernia. Rzhyshchev is 78 km south-east of Kiev. Beginning The Jewish population in Rzhyshchev may have existed at the time of Rzeczpospolita (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795) before the Khmelnitsky uprising but confirmed accounts exist from much later times. Thus, in 1740, 40 Jews lived here. Later, when the Kyiv region became part of the Russian Empire in the 1790s, Rzhyshchev was included in the Pale of Settlement where Russian Jews were allowed to settle. My locationGet Directions In 1896 there was a Ravinskaya (Rabbi) street in Rzhyshchiv, where one could see the house which...

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Kovshevatoe

Posted by on Oct 31, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Ківшовата – Kivshovata (Ukrainian), Ковшеватое – Kovshevatoe (Russian) Kovshevatoe is a historic village located in Kiev region of central Ukraine. The village’s estimated population is 2,400 (as of 2001). In XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Tarasha Yezd of Kiev Gubernia.  Beginning The village was founded in the 1560s by a Polish noble called Chernysh. The first official written evidence dates from the 31st of May 1571 when King Sigismund Augustus confirmed the property rights for “the village Chernyshky called Kovshovatitse” to a boyar (Slav nobility)Tymofiy Tyshkovych from Bila Tserkva. My locationGet Directions It was a part of Rzeczpospolita (the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795) until the XVIII century when in 1793 it became a part of the Russian Empire. During the war of liberation headed by Bohdan Khmelnitskiy Kivshovate passed from one owner to another several...

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Germanovka

Posted by on Sep 1, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 1 comment

Germanovka is a village located in Obuhov district of Kiev. Germanovka is located on the Krasna River. The city’s estimated population is 1,667 (as of 2001). Before the Revolution it was a shtetl of Vasilkov yezd, Kiev guberniya. Germanovka is approx. 62km south of Kiev. Beginning While it is thought that Germanovka’s first Jewish community was established in the 17th century and suffered under the Khmelnytskyi pogroms, there is no data available to confirm this. The Jewish community re-appeared in the middle of the XIX century when Germanovka became an important trading centre. A synagogue was built in 1849. In pinkos dating back to 1848, a pogrom of 1881 is recorded. My locationGet Directions In 1864, the Jewish community of Germanovka numbered 442. In 1891, this number grew to 895. In 1897, the total population of Germanovka was 3,628, and...

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Fastov

Posted by on Aug 7, 2016 in Kiev region | 2 comments

Фастов (Russian), Хвастів – Khvastiv (Formerly), כוואסטוב ,חוואסטוב (Yiddish) Fastov is a historic city located in Kiev region, center of Fastov district. Fastov is located on the Unava River, a tributary of the Irpen. The city’s estimated population is 47,284 (as of 2016). Fastov became a part of Russia Empire in 1793, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Vasylkov Yezd of Kiev Gubernia. Fastov is approx. 40 km from Belaya Tserkov and in 73 km from Kiev. Beginning While the first Jewish community was officially established in 1750, the first Jewish settlement in Fastiv can be traced back to the 17th century. My locationGet Directions The middle of the XVIII century was marked with devastating pogroms for the Fastov jewish community that suffered greatly from Haidamaks, paramilitary Cossack bands. 1768 was the hardest year for the Jews living in the town. Jewish...

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Dymer

Posted by on Jul 9, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Dimer (Yiddish Transliteration), Dymir (Polish), Димер – Dymer (Ukrainian), Дымер – Dymer, Dimer (Russian), דימער (Yiddish) Dymer is a historic town located in Kiev region. The town’s estimated population is 5,817 (as of 2001). Dymer became a part of Russia Empire in 1793, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Kiev Yezd of Kiev Gubernia. Dymer is approx. 32 km from Kiev and in 93 km from Chernobyl. Beginning Over the course of several centuries several ethnic groups co-existed on the abundant soil of Dymer. The Jews lived in Dymer since the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth rule. My locationGet Directions In the XIX – beginning of the XX centuries the Jews were mostly engaged in handicrafts and trade. The Jewish population of Dymer was 273 in 1847. According to the outstanding local historian Lavrentiy Pokhylevych, 1,773 Orthodox Christians of both genders and...

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Trypillia

Posted by on Jun 16, 2016 in Kiev region | 0 comments

Триполье(Russian), Трипілля(Ukrainian) Trypillya is a historic town located in Obukhov district of Kiev region. Trypillya is located on the Dnieper River. The town’s estimated population is 3,001 (as of 2006). Trypillya became a part of Russia Empire in 1667, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Kiev Gubernia. Trypillya is approx. 280 km from Vinnitsya and in 50 km from Kiev. Beginning Historically, people settled in Trypillya because of a ford across the Dnieper river and a strategically important hill rising high above the river bank. My locationGet Directions Written records of the Jews of Trypillya go back a long time. One of them an appeal on 21 July 1638 to the Kyiv magistrate court (Old Polish state lower courts handling the major offences in the Cossack Hetmanate within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1434) by a Polish nobleman called Mykola...

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Brovary

Posted by on May 15, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Brovary is a city located in Chernigov region of northern Ukraine.  The city’s estimated population is 100,865 (as of 2016). Brovary became a part of Russia Empire in 1667, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Oster Yezd of Chernigov Gubernia. It is approx. 51 km from Kozelets and in 28 km from Kiev. Beginning The Brockhaus-Efron Encyclopaedia notes that Brovary was a mansion settlement with a Cossack population of more than 10 per cent. According to the law of May 14, 1840, Jews were not permitted to settle there; apparently, an 1845 attempt to do so failed. However, in Chapter 55 of the 1866 Respons by the Tzemach Tzedek Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the inhabitants of Brovary are mentioned with regards to a question on the suitability of cereals for Pesach. Therefore, in 1866 (or even earlier, given that the Responsa was compiled...

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Byshov

Posted by on May 14, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Byshov is a historic town located in Makarov district of Kiev region. Byshovis located on the Lupa River, a tributary of the Irpen. The town’s estimated population is 2,773 (as of 2001). Byshov became a part of Russia Empire in 1793, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Kiev Yezd of Kiev Gubernia.   My locationGet Directions The earliest source of data on the Byshiv Jewish community states that there were 142 Jews in the village in 1765. Population numbers peaked in 1864 at 780, and dropped to 597 by 1897 (17% of total population). List of Byshev’s Jews from 1850 can be found here (in Russian). According to the Brockhaus-Efron Encyclopaedia, in the archives of the town owners in Pashkotz, a document has been preserved in which an Itsko Ozerovich proclaims his free will to swear loyalty in the synagogue. In 1768, the Jews...

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Rykun

Posted by on Apr 26, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Rykun village is a part of Dymer, an urban-type settlement in  Kiev region, Ukraine. It was founded as a Jewish agricultural settlement in Kiev Uezd of Kiev province in 1853. Since the 1980s it has been the village of Dymer district, Kiev region.  The city’s estimated population is 275 (as of 2001). Beginning The origin of the village name is not known. A local historian from Dymer, Grigoriy Alekseenko reckons that Rykun is the surname of one of the first Jewish settlers who came there from Uman. This version was first suggested after a visit of an emigrant descendant from Uman, Jonathan J.Rikoon whose last name is similar to the village name.As a representative of American Heritage Commission, he visited the inauguration of the Holocaust memorial in Dymer in 2011. My locationGet Directions In 1850 32 families resided in the...

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Boryspol

Posted by on Apr 10, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Boryspol is a historic city located in Kiev region,Ukraine, center of Boryspol district. The city’s estimated population is 60,102 (as of 2013). Boryspol became a part of Russia Empire in 1667, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Pereyaslav Yezd of Poltava Gubernia. Boryspil was first mentioned in the XI century as ‘Lta’, when the son of Prince Vladimir, Boris, died at the river Alta. It is presumed that the modern name appeared during the XVI century, in honor of Saint Boris. It is not known exactly when the Jewish population arrived in the city, although we know that the community suffered during the Khmelnitsky pogroms of the XVI century. Jewish population of Boryspol: 1897 – 1094 (12,2%) 1910 – 955 jews 1923 – 419 jews 1939 – 375 jews 1989 – 68 2010 ~ 40 As in most...

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Khabno

Posted by on Apr 2, 2016 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 6 comments

«… This town is known as Khabnoe. It has everything that you need in a shtetl: the post office, a state-appointed and a local rabbi, the river, telegraph service, a cemetery, a police station, a Talmud Torah, some Hasidim, two synagogues, a lot of poor Jews and a handful of the rich, just like it is in our shtetls.» (Sholom Aleichem “Khabnoe town”).  Кагановичи – Kaganovichi, Kahanovychi (Formerly), Кагановичі Перші – Kahanovychi Pershi (Formerly), Полесское – Polesskoe (Russian), Поліське – Poliske, Polis’ke (Ukrainian), Хабно – Khabno (Formerly) Khabno was a historic town located in Kiev region of northern Ukraine. Khabno was located on the Uzh River, a tributary of the Pripyat. It was renamed Kaganovichi in 1934, and Polesskoye in 1957. Khabnoe became a part of Russia Empire in 1793, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Radomyshl Yezd of...

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Shtetls of Kiev Gubernia

Posted by on Jan 4, 2016 in Kiev region, news | 4 comments

Below is the map with 88 settlements which has more that 1000 of Jewish popualtion according to 1897 census in Kiev Gubernia. Part of them were city but most was “classic” shtetl. More details and naming variants you can find below the map. Some names was changes and some shtetls disappeared but on the map mentioned real Pre-Revolution name. My locationGet Directions Hostoml (Polish), Hostomla, Ostomla (Alternative Name), Гостомель – Gostomel, Gostomel’ (Russian), Гостомель – Hostomel, Hostomel’ (Ukrainian), Остромир – Ostromir, Ostromyr (Formerly) 916 Jews( 46% of total population) Anatovka (Yiddish Transliteration), Гнатівка – Hnativka (Ukrainian), Игнатовка – Ignatovka (Russian), אנטבקה (Yiddish) 926 Jews( 85% of total population) Tahancho 953 Jews( 21% of total population) Dimer (Yiddish Transliteration), Dymir (Polish), Димер – Dymer (Ukrainian), Дымер – Dymer, Dimer (Russian), דימער (Yiddish) 984 Jews( 31% of total population) Moshny (English),...

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Skvira

Posted by on Aug 20, 2013 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 16 comments

Skver, Skvir, Skwere (Yiddish Transliteration), Сквира – Skvyra (Ukrainian), סקווירא (Yiddish) Skvyra is a town in the Kiev Oblast (province) of central Ukraine.  It is the administrative center of the Skvyrskyi Raion (district), and is currently a regional municipality. In the end of XIX – beginning XX century, Skvyra was a center of uezd in Kiev gubernia. My locationGet Directions Information about post-WWII Jews of Skvira was provided by the chairman of the community, Yefim Schwarzburd. He was born in 1948. Some book with a description of the pre-revolutionary town was published in Israel by a native of Skvira. However, I couldn’t find the author’s name, nor the title, nor the book itself. Skvira Hasidim now living in the United States have some memories and materials about Skvira of the XIX – XX centuries, but it is difficult to find...

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Boguslav

Posted by on Jul 30, 2013 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 8 comments

Bohsla (Yiddish), Богуслав – Boguslav (Russian,Ukrainian) Boguslav is a town in the Kiev region. In XIX – beginning of XX century, it was a center of Boguslav uezd, Kiev gubernia. Information about after-war Jews of Boguslav was provided by the head of Boguslav Jewish community Roman Tivin during our visit to Boguslav in the summer 2018. He is a seventh generation Boguslav resident. My locationGet Directions Beginning The first known instance of Jewish settlement in Bohuslav dates from the late 16th/early 17th century. Jewish population of Boguslav: 1765 – 574 jews 1847 — 5294 jews 1897 — 7445 (65,5%) 1910 — 14 236 (72%) 1926 — 6432 (53%) 1939 — 2230 jews 1989 — 179 jews 2004 – 50 jews The Jewish population of Bohuslav suffered during the Khmelnitsky pogroms in 1648, from the Cossack raids of 1702, and...

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Chernobyl

Posted by on Dec 27, 2012 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Chernobyl – Чернобыль (Russian), טשערנאבל (Yiddish) צ’רנוביל (Hebrew) Chernobyl is a historic town located in Kiev region of northern Ukraine. Chernobyl is located on the Pripyat River, a tributary of the Dnieper. All population was evacuated in 1986 after nuclear disaster. Now in town located only few offices of “30km Exclusion Zone” and temporary stuff. Chernobyl became a part of Russia Empire in 1793, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was shtetl of Radomyshl Yezd of Kiev. Chernobyl is approx. 32 km from Radomyshl and in 280 km from Kiev. Beginning It had one of the oldest Jewish settlements in the  Ukraine, dating from the end of the XVII century (first mention in documents dated by 1193). It was originally under the jurisdiction of the Lithuanian Council and attached in 1710 to the Council of the Four Lands. In 1691 a Cossack...

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Belaya Tserkov

Posted by on Jul 10, 2012 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 6 comments

    Shvartze Timme (Yiddish Transliteration), Біла Церква – Bila Tserkva (Ukrainian) Belaya Tserkov is a historic city located in Kiev region of Central Ukraine, center of Belaya Tserkov district. Belaya Tserkov is located on the Ros’ River, a tributary of the Dnieper. The city’s estimated population is 212,090 (as of 2016). Belaya Tserkov became a part of Russia Empire in 1793, in XIX – beginning of XX century it was a shtetl of Vasylkov Yezd of Kiev Gubernia. Belaya Tserkov is approx. 85 km from Kiev, 38 km from Fastov and 37 km from Skvira. If you want help to Belaya Tserkov Jewish school “Mitzva-613”: in UAH: Р/С 26006060214751; ПАО КБ “Приватбанк”; МФО 321842; ЕДРПОУ 33519562 получатель НВК”Міцва-613″ in USD: Полное название: Branch #10026/0877 Main administration in city Kyiv and Kyiv area Public Joint Company State Savings bank of Ukraine...

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Kiev

Posted by on Jun 26, 2012 in Kiev region, Shtetls | 0 comments

Article don’t complited Киев – Kiev (Russian), Київ – Kyiv (Ukrainian), קיִעוו (Yiddish), קייב (Hebrew) Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. Beginning Kiev’s central position on the river Dnipro at the commercial crossroads of Western Europe and the East attracted Jewish settlers (Rabbanites and Karaites) from the foundation of the town in the eighth century C.E. At first most of them were transient merchants from both east and west. According to letters dated 930 from the Cairo Genizah there were Jews in Kiev at this time. Ancient Russian chronicles relate that some Jews from Khazaria Visited Vladimir, the prince of Kiev, to try to convert him to Judaism (986). About that time a Jewish community already existed in the city. Jewish merchants from the West took part in...

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