Bakhmach Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. The oldest preserved tombstone dates to the first half of the 20th century, but locals claim the site used to be home to tombstones dating back to the late 19th century. As such, it can be assumed the cemetery was founded in that era. The cemetery was presumably marked on aerial photography by the Luftwaffe.

Jews first settled in Bakhmach in 1796. According to the 1987 census, 170 Jews lived in the town (20.2% of the total population).In 1898, the rabbi was Jacob-Aron Gendelev (born 1857). The Jewish community withstood pogroms in April 1918 (by the Haidamakas), December 1918 (by the Directorate’s troops), and September 1919 (by the Volunteer Army). In the 1920s, the mikvah was closed and the persecution of the Melamids began. In 1923, the town was home to 641 Jews, and in 1926 , 612 (9.0% of the population). However, by 1939, the Jewish population had dropped to 295. Bakhmach was occupied on September 10th, 1941. By that time, the majority of the Jews were evacuated. On March 2nd, 1942, several locals, including one Jewish woman, were burnt alive. In December 1942, the remaining Jews of Bakhmach were murdered. Most of them were shot, although several Jews were burned alive, together with locals. Among those murdered in Bakhmach were Jews from Hryhorivka, Pisky, Parafiivka, Novi Mlyny, and Plisky, who were shot between January 1942 and March 1943. Bakhmach was liberated on September 9th, 1943. The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. The oldest preserved tombstone dates to the first half of the 20th century, but locals claim the site used to be home to tombstones dating back to the late 19th century. As such, it can be assumed the cemetery was founded in that era. The last known Hasidic Jewish burial took place in 1992. The cemetery has separate sections for men, women, and children. It was presumably marked in aerial photography by the Luftwaffe. The cemetery boundaries have remained unchanged since 1939. The cemetery contains no known mass graves.