Pavoloch Old Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. It is marked on the map of western Russia from the 1900s and on the Red Army map from 1941. Presumably, it was established no later than the late 19th century and operated until WWII.

Jews first began to settle in Pavoloch (Ukr. Паволоч, Rus. Паволочь, Yid. פּאָוואָלאָטש) in the 17th century. The community was devastated during the Chmielnicki uprising of 1648–49, and there were only 3 Jews in Pavoloch in 1683, the town’s population at this point was only 42 people. In 1736, 35 Jews were killed in the Haidamak revolt. In 1753, 13 Jews from the area, including the rabbi of Pavoloch R. Akiva, were executed in a blood libel. The Jewish population grew from 103 in 1765, (including neighbouring smaller settlements) to 2,113 in 1847, and reached 3,391Jewish residents, which was 37% of the town in 1897. The Jewish community maintained a synagogue and several prayer houses, a cemetery and a loan fund. There was a considerable emigration to the USA, and the First Pavolocher Sick Benevolent Association was founded in New York in 1908. The community survived several pogroms during the Civil War of 1918–21. The Jewish population declined in the interwar period and had fallen to 630 Jewish residents (11%) in 1939. After the German invasion in 1941, many of the local Jews managed to flee the advancing German troops.
The exact date of establishment of the cemetery is unknown. It is marked on maps from around 1900 and from 1941. Its exact date of destruction is also unknown.