Romaniv Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. It was established no later than the late 19th century, as the earliest preserved tombstone dates to 1891. It is marked on a map from 1890-1910s.

Jewish residents in Romaniv (Ukr. Романів, Rus. Романов, Yid. ראָמאַנאָוו, in 1933–2003 Dzerzhynsk – Ukr. Дзержинськ, Rus. Дзержинск) were first mentioned in 1787. During the 19th century, the Jewish population grew from 344 in 1847 to 2,599 (46% of the town) in 1897. The community maintained a synagogue, a prayer house and a talmud-torah. The Soviet authorities opened a Yiddish-language elementary school in the 1920s. The Jewish population stood at 1,720 (24%) in 1939. When the Germans arrived in July 1941, around three quarters of the Jewish residents remained in the town. They were joined by a few hundred Jewish refugees. Around- 1,800 Jews were confined in a ghetto and murdered by October 1941.
According to the 2001 census, there were 12 Jews in Romaniv (then Dzerzhynsk) and the surrounding area.
The exact date of the establishment of the cemetery is unknown, however the oldest tombstone dates back to 1891. According to the 1994–95 survey by the Jewish Preservation Committee (KSEN), the cemetery was also used by the Jews of Bykivka.