Mykolayiv Old Peski Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. Its original was most likely concurrent with the foundation of the city, then closed in 1874. By 1941, it was no longer marked on the map, so it can be assumed it was demolished at some point before the war.

The Jews began to settle in Mykolayiv in the late 18th century. In the 1820s, a Great Synagogue was operating. Crafts and trade were the main occupations of the Jews. In 1830, the Jews were prohibited from residing in the town. In 1881 and 1899, pogroms were staged in the city. As a reaction, the Jewish community formed self-defence detachments which prevented a pogrom in 1905. In 1897, the Jewish population numbered 20,109 (22% of the total population). In the early 20th century, the educational sphere was developing and 15 educational facilities were maintained by the Jewish community. The population numbered 21,786 in 1926. In the same year, a law court in which lawsuits and claims were carried out in Yiddish was established. In the 1920s, five elementary schools for Jewish children were in operation. A vocational school and a high school were also active. Many Jews worked at factories and plants. The population numbered 25,280 (15% of the total population) in 1939. The Wehrmacht occupied Mykolayiv on August 17, 1941. From September 21 to 23, 1941, more than 6,000 Jews were murdered 12 km outside of the city. One monument was erected in 1962. In 2008, another monument was set up on the site of the mass shooting. A Jewish community was re-established in Mykolaiv in 1991, and there was a Jewish population functioning here in 2016.