Huliaipole Old Jewish Cemetery

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.

Huliaipole (Ukr., Rus. Гуляйполе, Yid. הולײַפּאָליע) had a Jewish community during the 19th century, although restrictions on Jewish settlement were in place until 1903. There was a pogrom in May 1881. The town had a Jewish population of 1,173 (12% of the total population) in 1897 and, in the early 20th century, the community maintained 2 synagogues, a cemetery, and Jewish schools. During the Civil War, Huliaipole was the centre of Nestor Makhno’s anarchist Free Territory. Makhno opposed anti-Semitism and tried to prevent pogroms. Jews were moreover among the anarchist leaders. In the 1920’s, the Huliaipole Jewish National Raion included 14 village councils with about 20,000 residents, 70% of which were Jewish. There were 556 Jews in Huliaipole in 1939. Most of the Jews who remained in the town after the arrival of the Germans in October 1941 were killed in January 1942. According to the 2001 census, there were 11 Jews in Huliaipole and the neighbouring areas.

It is not known when exactly the cemetery was founded. The earliest tombstone dates to either 1878 or 1879.