Vashkivtsi Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Chernivtsi
District
Vyzhnytsia
Settlement
Vashkivtsi
Site address
The cemetery is located adjacent to 93, Holovna Street.
GPS coordinates
48.39071, 25.50561
Perimeter length
441 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
The cemetery is surrounded by a metal mesh fence, installed by ESJF in December 2018.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
This is a fenced and well-maintained Jewish cemetery.
Number of existing gravestones
500
Date of oldest tombstone
1840
Date of newest tombstone
2004
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Property of local community
Preserved construction on site
Drone surveys
No

Historical overview

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. According to epigraphic data, it already existed in the first half of the 19th century. First, it was marked on a map of the 1880s. The cemetery is still operating.

The Jewish community existed in the mid-15th century. In the early 19th century, a Jewish school and hospital operated. In 1890, 790 Jews (16,5% of the total population) lived in Vashkivtsi. The majority of the Jews of Vashkivtsi were followers of Hasidism. Until the 1930s, the Jews were mainly engaged in agriculture and crafts. In the pre-war period, the Jewish population was involved in trade and finance, law, medicine, teaching and other professional engagements. In 1930, the Jewish population grew to 820 (13% of the total population). On July 7, 1941, a Jewish camp was established. Around 1,500 Jews were imprisoned here. On July 26, 1941, the Jews were expelled to Transnistria. Some Jewish families survived and returned to Vashkivtsi after WWII.