Alternate names: Rudky and Рудки [Ukr], Rudki [Pol, Рудки-Rus], Ridik and רידיק [Yid], Riduk, Rudik. 49°39' N, 23°29 E.
- Rudki; sefer yizkor le-yehudei Rudki ve-ha-seviva
(Israel, 1978) - Еврейская энциклопедия (1906-1913), "Рудки".
- Encyclopedia of Jewish Life (2001), p. 1104: "Rudki".
- Pinkas HaKehilot, Poland, Vol. 2 (1980), pp. 503-505: "Rudki".
- Shtetl Finder (1989), p. 85: "Rudki, Rudik".
- Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), IX, pp. 915-919: "Rudki" #7.
Jewish Records Indexing Poland Town Page- Virtual Shtetl Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Galicia SIG
- Jewish Records Indexing - Poland
RUDKI I: US Commission No. UA13480101
It is located in Lvovskaya oblast at 49°30' 40°49', 27 km from Sambor. The cemetery is located at the east part of the village on Vatutin St., left after a bridge. Present town population is 5000-25000, but no Jews.
- Town officials: Town Chief Tisovskii Roman Semenovich, tel.: 45232. Address: Rudki, Vidrodzhennya St. 1.
- Regional officials: Lvov Regional State Administration, Lvov Vinnichenko St., 18, reception room, tel.: 722947, 728093. Lvov Center State Historical Archives (CSHA), Sobornaya Square, 3a, tel.: 723508.
- Lvov Jewish Community, Lvov Mikhnovskih St., 4, Rabbi Mordekhai Shloime Bold, tel.: 330524.
The earliest mention of Jewish community is 18th century. The Jewish population was 2790 Jews in 1922. The unlandmarked cemetery was created in the 18th century with last known Orthodox burial before June 1941. The isolated urban plain has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off the road, access is open with permission. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds site. The approximate size of the cemetery before the World War II was 0.76 hectares. Removed stones are near site of Jews' murder (mass burial site), 2 km from Rudki. More than 75% of broken stones date from 18th through 20th century. The sandstone and slate finely smoothed stones with signs or flat stones with carved relief decoration have Hebrew inscriptions. There are no separate monuments. The cemetery contains unmarked mass graves. Municipality owns property used only as Jewish cemetery, parking, and commercial usage. The cemetery property has with private houses and garages. The cemetery borders residential area. The cemetery boundaries are smaller than in 1939 because of the residential development. Occasionally, organized individual groups and private visitors stop. The cemetery was vandalized during the World War II and between 1945 and 1981. There has been no care or restoration. Very serious threat: vandalism, incompatible development that demolished cemetery during Soviet period.
Iosif Gelston, Lvov, 290049, PO Box 10569, tel./fax: (0322) 227490 completed survey in 8.11.1998. Tsebenko Adam Pavlovich, citizen of Podgaichiki, Sambor Region was interviewed. Gelston visited site 3.11.1998. Documentation: CSHA, Fond 186, Inventory 10, page 4; Slownik Geog. Krol. Polkiego, T.9, St. 915, Warszawa, 1888 (in Polish); Jewish Encyclopedia, B.13, p.715, St Petersburg, 1912; Basic plan of Rudki of 1964, 'Dipromist', Lvov; DALO, Fond 1, Inventory 52, page 3.
RUDKI II: US Commission No. UA13480501.
The cemetery is located S in village, at end of Christian cemetery. Another source: Meilakh Shpokhet, Lvov Kulchitskaya St, 3, tel.: 622219. The unlandmarked separate Jewish part of non-Jewish cemetery was created in 1980-1981 with last known Orthodox burial in 1980-1981. The urban plain, part of municipal cemetery, has sign or marker in Ukrainian and Hebrew mentioning Jewish community. Reached by turning directly off the road and crossing the whole Christian cemetery, access is open for all. Continuous fence and gate without lock surround the cemetery. The cemetery did not exist before the World War II. Now its size is 35-40 square meters. There is one 1991 unbroken granite and concrete multistone monument in its original location with Hebrew and Ukrainian inscriptions and metal fence surrounding. Some removed stones are at place of Jews' execution. There are also some separate monuments, dedicated to other reburied Jews. The cemetery contains marked mass graves, but no structures. Municipality owns site. The cemetery borders residential area. The cemetery boundaries are larger than in 1939. Occasionally, organized Jewish tourist groups and private visitors stop. The cemetery has never been vandalized. Local/ municipal persons and Jews living abroad reestablished stones, fixed walls in 1991. At present, the cemetery has no care. Serious threat: The fence is not high and gate does not lock. Inside the fence are different strange objects and rubbish. Moderate threat: safety, vegetation overgrowth, and incompatible development. Slight threat: erosion, vandalism, and incompatible planned development.
Iosif Gelston, Lvov, 290049, PO Box 10569, tel./fax: (0322) 227490 completed survey in 8.11.1998 Gelston visited site in 3.11.1998. Meilakh Shoikhet, Lvov, O.Kulchitskaya St., 3, tel.: 622219, was interviewed. Documentation: Slownik Geograficzny Krolewstwa Polskiego, T.9, St.915, Warszawa, 1888 (in Polish); Jewish Encyclopedia, B.13, St., 715, St. Petersburg, 1912; Basic plan of Rudki - 1964, Lvov, CALR, Fond 1, Inventory 52, page 3.
RUDKI III: US Commission No. UA13480502
The cemetery is located in 2 km N of village, left from the road to Lvov. The Orthodox cemetery was created in Spring 1943. Komarno (16 km away) used this unlandmarked cemetery. Between fields and forest, the isolated hillside has sign or marker in Ukrainian and Hebrew mentioning Jewish community and Holocaust. Reached by turning directly off the road, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds site. The cemetery that did not exist before the World War II is now 100 square-meters. 100- 500 tombstones, none in original location and less than 25% of stones broken, date from 18th century. Only 1 gravestone is in original location. 500 stones 18th, 19th, and 20th century sandstone finely smoothed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration, or multi-stone monuments with Hebrew and Ukrainian inscriptions were moved to another cemetery. Some separate monuments are dedicated to Holocaust victims, but no structures. The cemetery contains marked mass graves. Municipality owns property used only as Jewish cemetery. The cemetery borders agricultural area. The cemetery boundaries are larger than in 1939. Occasionally, organized Jewish tourist groups and private visitors stop. The cemetery has never been vandalized. Local/municipal persons and Jews living abroad reestablished stones in 1991. The cemetery has no care. The mass burial site hill has eroded; and some gravestones have tilted. Fallen leaves autumn cover the stones. Serious threat: erosion, pollution. Moderate threat: safety, vegetation overgrowth. Slight threat: vandalism, incompatibility with present and planning development.
Iosif Gelston, Lvov, 290049, PO Box 10569, tel./fax: (0322) 227490 completed survey and visited site in 8.11.1998. Tisovskiy Roman Smenovich, town chief, tel.: 45232 was interviewed. Documentation: Slownik Geograficzny Krolewstwa Polskiego, T.9, St, 915, Warszawa, 1888 (in Polish); Jewish Encyclopedia, B.13, p.715, St Petersburg, 1912; SALR, Fond 1, Inventory 52, page 3.
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [April 2016]