Smyrnove Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Zaporizhya
District
Bilmaksky
Settlement
Smyrnove
Site address
The cemetery is located behind the house at No.63 Smirnov Street.
GPS coordinates
47.20634, 36.54593
Perimeter length
154 мetres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
Fenced by ESJF in September 2021
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The cemetery is abandoned. The site is covered with seasonal vegetation. All the information was provided to us by an older resident (she is 80 years old). She said that about 3 years ago, someone wanted to remove a tombstone (some Americans came with an interpreter), they claimed that a relative was buried here, but they didn't succeed, even with the help of special equipment. Around 1950, she remembers there being about 20 gravestones, she does not know what happened to them.
Number of existing gravestones
There are only 4 gravestones. All stones are standing, well preserved.
Date of oldest tombstone
1893 (the earliest tombstone found by ESJF).
Date of newest tombstone
1907 (the latest tombstone found by ESJF).
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Municipality
Preserved construction on site
No
Drone surveys
Yes

Historical overview

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. Given that the oldest preserved tombstone dates to the late 19th century, it can be gathered the cemetery was founded in that era. It cannot be found marked on old maps of the region.

Little information is available about the Jewish community of Smyrnove (Ukr. Смирнове, Rus. Смирново, until 1946 Popivka, Ukr. Попівка, Rus. Поповка). In 1885, the village had a synagogue.

It is not known when exactly the cemetery was founded. The earliest tombstone dates to 1893.