Olevsk New Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. It was established no later than the early 20th century, as the earliest preserved tombstone dates to 1906. The cemetery was restored in the 1980s.

A Jewish community was first mentioned in Olevs’k (Ukr. Олевськ, Rus. Олевск, Yid. אָלעווסק) in the 18th century. The Jewish population rose from 157 in 1765, to 845 in 1847, and had reached 1,187 (57% of the town) by 1897. The community maintained a synagogue and the town had a Jewish loan fund. The Jews survived several pogroms during the Civil War of 1918–21. Zionists were active until at least 1925. The Jews of Olevs’k founded 2 agricultural collectives in the Kherson District. There were 2858 Jews (42%) in Olevs’k in 1939. After the German invasion of the USSR in 1941, many of Olevs’k’s Jews were able to evacuate. Olevs’k was initially controlled by German-aligned Ukrainian nationalists under Taras Bulba-Borovets (the so-called Olevs’k Republic). The Jews who remained in Olevs’k were subjected to brutal treatment, property confiscations and some were murdered. When the German civil administration was established in November 1941, the Jews were confined in a ghetto. The majority of them were murdered soon after. After the liberation, Jews began to return to Olevs’k. In 1959, there were around 1,300 Jews (13%) in Olevs’k. Most of the Jews emigrated to the US or Israel in the late 20th century. As of 2001, there were 41 Jews living in Olevs’k and the neighbouring area.
It is not known when exactly the cemetery was founded. The oldest tombstone dates back to 1906. Restoration work was carried out in the 1980s.