Pavlivka Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery was presumably established in the 18th century when the independent Jewish community of Pavlivka emerged. The cemetery was abandoned during WWII and in decline since then up to its final demolition by Soviet authorities in 1970s. Today, the territory is used for cattle grazing. There are no visible traces of the cemetery and its boundaries. The cemetery requires full delineation and fencing.

The first mention of the Jews in Poryck (Pavlivka) dates back to 1569. It can be presumed that Jews were already living in the town earlier, when fire damaged it in 1554. The Jewish community of Poryck was represented in the Council of the Four Lands. In the early 18th century, the Jews of Poryck were subordinated to the community of Ludmir (Volodymyr-Volyns’kyy). By the end of the 18th century, the Jewish population increased from 101 in 1784 to 296 in 1790. During this period, local authorities approved the establishment of a Jewish printing house in 1786, which was actively publishing books by 1790. After the partition of Poland, Poryck was located in border region of the Russian Empire to Austrian territory. During the second half of the 19th century, Jews were legislatively forbidden to reside in the border territory. This presumably led to an extreme reduction of Poryck’s Jewish population: 1,100 Jews were counted in 1847, while in 1870, only 327 Jews lived in the town. According to census data, the Jewish population had again risen to 1,316 Jews (60% of the total population) by 1897. During this period, the town had a synagogue, and one of its rabbis, Kolonius Kalman Horovitz (? – 1885), was the grandson of the “Seer of Lublin” (Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz). During WWI, the community suffered from pogroms and the pillaging of their property. During the interwar period, two Hebrew and Yiddish Jewish libraries constituted the Jewish cultural centres of the town. In 1921, 1,205 Jews lived in Poryck. As a result of refugee resettlement after the Nazi occupation on June 23, 1941, the Jewish population grew to 3,000. At the same time, a ghetto was established. A mass execution of 900 Jews took place in September 1942.