Novopoltavka Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery is marked on the maps of the 1860s and from 1941. It was largely ruined, presumably during WWII of soon after. As pre-war maps show, the original cemetery perimeter was larger than what is preserved today. Presumably, the south-eastern part of the cemetery after demolishing was used for Christian burials of the expanding municipal cemetery, adjacent to the Jewish one.

The Jewish farm colony of Novopoltavka was founded in 1840 by Jews from Courland. In 1867, the Jewish population numbered 1,568. In the 1860s, the colony included149 households and two synagogues. The main occupation of the settlers was agriculture. In 1899, three synagogues operated. The Jewish population had grown to 1,980 (90% of the total population) by 1897. In the early 20th century, three synagogues and a Jewish agricultural school were operating. In the years before and after the Civil War, several Zionist organisations, among which Ha-Halutz and others, were active. During 1918 to 1921, the Jewish community was attacked by the Volunteer Army and Makhno-led detachments, which staged a pogrom in which 132 Jews perished. As a reaction, self-defence detachments were created. Joint and ARA provided material assistance to the colonists. In the 1920s, the shool was transformed into an agricultural technical school. Until the late 1920s, the synagogues and Jewish schools were closed. In 1926, the Jewish population of the town numbered 1,877 (86% of the total population). The Wehrmacht occupied Novopoltavka in August 1941. On September 10, 1941, 837 Jews were executed by the Germans. In later years, a monument was erected at the mass-execution site.