Alternate names: Kosiv, КОСІВ [Ukr], Kosov, קאָסעוו / קאסאוו [Yid, Косов / Коссов Rus], Kosów [Pol], Kossow [Ger], Cosău [Rom], Kosev, Kosów Stary, Kossów Stary, Kosów Huculski [Pol, 1934-39], Kosuv Hutsulski, Kossów, Kossuv, Kosuv,
48°19' N, 25°06' E in E Galicia, 44 miles SSE of Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów), 15 miles SSE of Kolomyya. Jewish population: 2,563 (in 1900).
- Sefer Kosow-Galicia ha-mizrahit
(Tel Aviv, 1964) - Megiles Kosow
(Tel Aviv, 1981) - Gesher Galicia
- Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Jewish Records Indexing Poland Town Page
- Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), IV, p. 473: "Kossów".
- Shtetl Finder (1989), p. 41: "Kosov" (1st one).
- Pinkas HaKehilot, Poland, Vol. 2 (1980), pp. 481-486: "Kosów".
- Еврейская энциклопедия (1906-1913), "Коссов".
- Carved Memories: Heritage in Stone from the Russian Jewish Pale by David Goberman, NY.
Story. [Sept 2014]
KOSOV I:: US Commission No. UA08020501
Alternate names: Kossow (Hungarian), Pukiv (Polish) and Kossov (Russian). Kosov is located in Ivano-Frankovskaya at 49º6 25º40, 94 km from Chernovtsy, 100 km from Ivano-Frankovsk, and 40 km from Kolomiya. The mass grave is located at Zamkovaya Mountain. Present town population is 5,001-25,000 with no Jews.
- Town officials: Kosov, mayor Hodan Yaroslav Mikhaylovich of (03478) 21439. Society 'Prosvita', Kosov, Tuturush Vladimir Vasilyevich of (03478) 2243. Kraeved, Kulik Ivan Danilovich of (03478) 21784.
- Regional: Ivano-Frankovsk oblispolkom, Sadovskiy Aleksandr Petrovich (03433) 24992.
- Others: Ivano-Frankovsk Oblast Gosarchiv.
The earliest known Jewish community was 16th century. 1939 Jewish population (census) was 81. The unlandmarked Jewish mass grave was dug in 1941. Haim Iel ben rav Avraam Tsvi from Sadigora lived here. No Jews from other towns or villages were murdered here. The urban hillside has signs or plaques in local language mentioning the Holocaust. Reached by city street, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds the mass grave. The approximate size of mass grave is now 0.01 hectares. No stones were removed. Stones date from 1941. The mass grave has only common tombstones. The site contains marked mass graves. The municipality owns the property. Adjacent properties are "other." Occasionally, organized individual tours and local residents visit site. This mass grave has not been vandalized. Now, occasionally, individuals clean or clear. Within the limits of the mass grave are no structures. Moderate threat: weather erosion and vegetation. Slight threat: uncontrolled access and vandalism.
Oks Vladimir Moiseevich of 270065, Odessa, Varnenskaya Street 17D, Apt. 52 [Phone: (0482) 665950] visited in 08/1994 and interviewed Tuturush V.V. Oks completed survey on 02/20/1995. Other documentation exists but was inaccessible.
KOSOV II: US Commission No. UA08020101
The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery was established in the 18th century with last known Vidjitskie Hasidic burial in 1939. The isolated urban hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. A broken fence and non-locking gate surrounds the site. 501 to 5000 stones, most in original location with between 25%-50% toppled or broken, date from 1742 to 20th century. Location of any removed tombstones is unknown. The cemetery has special sections for men, women, unmarried men, unmarried women, rabbis and Cohanim. Some tombstones have traces of painting on their surfaces. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. The municipality owns the property used for Jewish cemetery, agriculture (crops or animal grazing) and waste dumping. Adjacent properties are residential. The cemetery boundaries are smaller now than 1939 because of housing development and commercial-industrial development. The cemetery is visited rarely by organized individual tours and local residents. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II and occasionally in the last ten years. Jewish individuals within country, Jewish individuals abroad and Jewish groups within country did re-erection of stones, cleaned stones, cleared vegetation and fixed wall in 1988. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Vegetation overgrowth is a constant problem, disturbing and stones. Water drainage at the cemetery is a constant problem. Very serious threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion, pollution and vegetation. Moderate threat: vandalism and existing nearby development. Slight threat: proposed nearby development.
Oks Vladimir Moiseevich of 270065,Odessa, Varnenskaya Street 17D, Apt. 52 [Phone: (0482) 665950] visited site and completed survey on 8/3/94. Interviewed was local resident. Documentation: Stuphicki P.N. Galiciya pod wzqledem topografizno-geografizno-historieznum. Lwow. 1848.
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [March 2016]