Alternate names: Brest [Bel], Brest Litovsk [Rus], Brześć Litewski [Pol], Brześć nad Bugiem [Pol, 1918-39], Brisk [Yid], Brasta [Lith], Brest Litowsk, Brisk Dlita, Brisk de-Lita, Brześć-Litewsk, Brist nad Bugie, Bzheshch nad Bugyem, Bieraście, Russian: Брест-Литовск. Belarusian: Брэст. Yiddish: בריסק. Located at 52°06' N, 23°42' E , 203.1 miles SW of Minsk in Brest Oblast, Brest is a city and administrative center of Brest oblast. The city is located on the right bank of the Western Boog River. Capital of Polesie province of Poland, 1918-1939. Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), I, pp. 399-404: "Brześć Litewski". Jews settled in Brest earlier than 1388 when Grand Duke Vitautas of Lithuania granted a charter to the Jews living in the town. The presence of Jews is well-documented since 1503. Since at least 1338, a Jewish cemetery existed. The Jews from Brest called themselves Brisker. Brisker Jews also refer to themselves as Litvish - or Litvaks, again referring to the 14th century Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Belarus SIG newsletter article. [March 2009]
CEMETERY:
The cemetery that was dismantled by the Soviets in the 1950's with many of the headstones used as building materials and for roads. Ten years many of the stones were discovered and are being returned to the Jewish community. We gained some publicity for this last year and now we are trying to raise funds to build a memorial there to help the existing Jewish community grow and be known to the wider world. The Knesset got wind of this last year and I attended a meeting there to discuss possible support. We have no confirmation of support yet but we hope that may come.The proposed memorial will be made from the headstones and will be placed on the territory of the original cemetery. Debra BrunnerDirector, The Together Plan, UK registered charity no. 1154167
Old Jewish cemetery of Brest-Litovsk is a soccer field and was destroyed totally by the German Army and Nazis SS in 1941 and 1942. In the late 1950's or early 1960's,
the Russian government converted the cemetery into a soccer field.The Brest Jewish Community, the Brest City Government, the Brest State University Construction
Faculty, the East European Jewish Heritage Project, and the Brest-Belarus Research SIG have a plan to rededicate a part of this old Jewish cemetery.
photo. see Brest Online and photos [March 2009]
2007 Vandalism: "This winter the memorial sign on the place of Brest ghetto was smeared with black paint in Brest. Later vandals broke the murmur decoration here and
burned flowers.Today journalist Yauhen Aleksandrovich has told Radio Svaboda that the guilty have been found and the case is sent to court:"This information was given
by Zmiter Shuryn, head ob the investigatory department at Leninski district department of Brest. He also said some more cases were investigated. In particular, memorial
signs, especially near the former synagogue were damaged, smeared and broken 8 times", - the journalist said to Radio Svaboda."[March 2009]
2008 Vandalism: "Holocaust monument has been desecrated in Brest, the Belarusian news agency Belapan reported on 11 February, quoting the chairman of the Brest
Jewish community, Barys Kruk. According to Kruk, vandals have burnt the flowers and wreaths that had been laid at the monument. The news agency quoted Kruk as saying
that acts of vandalism have been staged against the monument over the last six years and that a "fascist" group is behind the attacks. Kruk reported the incident to the Brest
authorities, the KGB, the embassy of Israel and the Union of Belarusian Jewish Associations and Communities, the news agency added." [March 2009]
Hebrew website with photo: [Apr 2014]
Gravestones and Fragments Found in Brest, Belarus [October 2014]
Project to Recover Thousands of Jewish Gravestones Used in Construction of Belarus Town [November 2014]