Tomashpil Old Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Vinnytsia
District
Tomashpil
Settlement
Yaryshivka
Site address
Cemetery does not have an address. The cemetery is located to the right of Chernyakhivsky Street, at the southern exit of the village.
GPS coordinates
48.52704, 28.5303
Perimeter length
338 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
A few scattered sections of the masonry wall are still visible.
Preservation condition
Unfenced Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The cemetery site is overgrown and derelict. It is in need of clearance.
Number of existing gravestones
Approximately 3,000.
Date of oldest tombstone
1873 (the earliest tombstone found by ESJF).
Date of newest tombstone
1931 (the latest tombstone found by ESJF).
Urgency of erecting a fence
High
Land ownership
Municipality
Preserved construction on site
No
Drone surveys
Yes

Historical overview

According to the Commission on the Preservation of Jewish Heritage, the cemetery contains burials dating to the early 19th century. As such, it can be inferred that it was already in use by that era. It can be found marked on a map of Western Russia from the 1900s.

There is not much information on the Jewish community of Tomashpil. The earliest known Jewish community in Tomashpil dates to the 17th century. The Jewish community suffered during the Khmelnytsky uprising.
In 1765, the Jewish population numbered 531 people. Jews were involved in trade and crafting.
According to the census of 1897, there were 4,515 Jews, out of the total of 4,972. The Jewish community survived pogroms in 1919-1920, in which 350 Jews were killed.
In the 1930s, there was a Jewish elementary school, a Jewish theater, a library and a club. By 1939 there were 1,863 Jews living in the town.
Tomashpil was occupied on July 20th 1941, in the first 5 days 6 Jews were murdered, and 150 Jews more on August 11th. In September the remaining Jews were concentrated in the ghetto.

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. According to the Commission on the Preservation of Jewish Heritage, the cemetery was established in the early 19th century. There are around 3,000 gravestones. The earliest tombstone found dates to 1873 ,the most recent to 1931. The cemetery is marked on the maps from the 1900s of the region. The cemetery is abandoned, its site is used for cattle grazing.

3D model