RAHACHOW: Gomel | Belarus | International Jewish Cemetery Project

Alternate names: Rahachow [Bel], Rogachev [Rus], Rogatchev [Yid], Rohaczew [Pol], Rahatschou [Ger], Rogačiovas [Lith], Rahačoŭ, Rogatschew, Ratchev, Rogaczów, Rohatchov, Belarusian: Рагачоў. Russian: Рогачёв. 53°05' N, 30°03' E, 34 miles E of Babruysk (Bobruisk), 59 miles NW of Homyel (Gomel), 117 mi ESE of Minsk. JOWBR: Jewish Cemetery and

JOWBR burial listings [August 2010]

Forward article [December 2010]

Old Cemetery: May 1977 visit: The old Rogachev Jewish cemetery is a couple of kilometers NE of the center of town. From the Rogachev Museum or city hall on Lenin Street in the center of town, drive about 1 kilometer north and turn right onto Kasalova Street. Where Kasalova Street ends at a major cross street, continue straight ahead past brick pillars at an entrance onto a dirt road to the Rogachev Jewish cemetery, which is about 100 yards down the road on the right. There are about 300-400 graves, about ¾ of which are from after the Revolution (individual metal fences and metal markers), primarily in the right rear corner, and about fifty older gravestones. The cemetery has no well-defined borders except for the road and some farmyards on the south side. The inscriptions on the newer stones and metal markers are easily read in Russian and Hebrew. There seemed to be no evidence of any attention or maintenance at the cemetery except that the local farms allow their goats to keep the grass short. Source: Arthur Obermayer; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There were actually two Jewish cemeteries in Rogachev, the old and the new. We departed by car to the old Jewish cemetery located on a plot of ground that overlooked the Dnieper River. There were cows and goats grazing in the unmaintained cemetery, but at least it was not overgrown with trees and vegetation found in the Mogilev Jewish cemetery. Of the approximately 400 stones still remaining, some had been weathered over time so they could no longer be read. Others had sunk into the ground and were only partially readable. The earliest stones probably dated from the 1700's and 1800's but there were post revolution (1917) stones in one section of the cemetery. In the typical Soviet style, they had with little or no Hebrew, but had Russian inscriptions and, in many cases, the etched image of the deceased. We even saw grave markers that were made of sheet metal because relatives could not afford a stone monument. The metal monuments were rusting apart and deteriorating rapidly. I noticed large areas of the cemetery were there were no stones, but from the way the land had settled, there were obviously burials on the land. I also saw graves that had been dug up and asked Mrs. Kapelan what had happened. She said that as people had immigrated from Rogachev to Israel or the US, the people who could afford it had reburied their relatives in the "new" Jewish cemetery because it was better maintained. While there was a fence around part of the cemetery, it was not secure. There did not appear to be any signs of vandalism, but there were kids playing in part of the cemetery. We took lots of photos of stones, but did not have time to adequately photograph every marker. None of us could really read Hebrew. In fact no one left in the town can read Hebrew. One other item of interest was the many sheds adjacent to the cemetery. When I asked what they were, I was told it was a brick factory that had been built on part of the cemetery around 1946. No one seemed to know what happened to stones that were in that part of the cemetery, but from the way the cemetery was laid out, it appears they built over the oldest part. Source: David M. Fox This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New Cemetery: Mrs. Kapelan guided us to the "new" Jewish cemetery on the outskirts of town. Actually it was a community cemetery with a "Jewish section". It appeared well maintained for the most part, but because of immigration, no one cares for many of the Jewish graves that looked untended and overgrown. We were told that the Jewish section was full and there were no more empty plots. Mrs. Kapelan pointed out some very well maintained graves where the site was totally covered by squares of stone or marble to prevent the growth of vegetation. People who were immigrating to Israel in the next few days and wanted to be sure that the graves would be maintained did this. I asked Mrs. Kapelan if anyone had a list of names of Jews buried in either cemetery. Unfortunately, none existed. I asked her if there was someone who could prepare such a list and gave her some money to get the project started. She said she would only be able to do the stones with Russian writing, since there was no one to read Hebrew left in the shtetl. Source: David M. Fox This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jewish cemetery photo, [February 2010]

ROGACHEV I: US Commission No. UA05140101

Rogachev is located in Zhitomirskaya, 108 km from Zhitomir, 16 km from Baranovka, 21 km from Novograd-Volinskiy, 108 km from Zhitomir. Present town population is 1,000 - 5,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.

Town officials: Village Soviet of 2527.

The earliest known Jewish community was 1847. 1925 Jewish population (census) was 250. The last known Hasidic burial was 1941. Kammeniy Brod used this unlandmarked cemetery until 1919 (10 km away). The isolated rural (agricultural) flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds site. 1 to 20 common tombstones, all in original location with more than 75% toppled or broken, date from 20th century. Containing no known mass graves, property is now used for agriculture (crops or animal grazing). Properties adjacent are agricultural and residential. The cemetery boundaries are smaller now than 1939 because of agriculture. Rarely, local residents visit. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II. There is no maintenance now. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Very serious threat: uncontrolled access. Serious threat: vandalism. Moderate threat: pollution. Slight threat: weather erosion, vegetation and proposed nearby development.

Kogan Leonid of Novograd-Volynskiy, Lenina St. 107, Apt. 42. [Phone: 54239] visited site on 6/27/94. Interviewed was Frolova Ada Grigoruevna on 6/27/94. Kogan completed survey on 06/28/1994.

ROGACHEV II: US Commission No. UA05140501

The mass grave is located at 4.5 km E of village, 150m North of road: Rogachev Kam Brod. Rogachev is 21 km from Novograd-Volynskiy. Present town population is 1,000 - 5,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.

Town officials: Village Executive Council Chairman Opanasyuk Nikolay Stepanovich [Phone: 42527].

Regional: Cultural Memorial Protection Society of Borisyuk N.E. [Phone: (0412)370807]. Regional Dept. of Culture, Baranovka, Shkolniy Lane, 1. Strilchuk Anatoliy Pavlovich, editor of newspaper 'Slovo Plissya'.\

The earliest known Jewish community was 1847. 1926 Jewish population (census) was 762. Living here was Zabara Natan Ilich, writer (1908-1975). The Hasidic mass grave was dug in 1941. Jews from no other towns or villages were murdered at this unlandmarked mass grave. The isolated wooded flat land has signs or plaques in local language mentioning the Holocaust. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. A continuous fence with no gate surrounds the mass grave. 1 to 20 stones, all in original location with none toppled or broken, date from 1955. No stones were removed. Some tombstones have traces of painting on their surfaces. The site contains marked mass graves. Municipality owns property used for mass burial site. Properties adjacent are mixed forest. The mass grave boundaries is larger now than 1939. This mass grave was not vandalized. Jewish individuals within country re-erected stones, cleared vegetation and fixed wall. There is no maintenance now. Within the limits of the mass grave are no structures. Vegetation overgrowth and water drainage are seasonal problems, preventing access. Serious threat: vegetation (overgrown and unchecked). Moderate threat: uncontrolled access and vandalism. Slight threat: weather erosion, pollution and proposed nearby development.

Kogan Leonid of Novograd-Volynskiy, Lenina St., 107, Apt. 42 [Phone: (04141) 54259 ] visited site and completed survey on 1/5/96. Interviewed on 14/04/1996 was Kolodyans Fanya Ayzikovna of Novograd-Volynskiy, Lenina St. 67, Apt. 67. Documentation: Veytseblit I.I.: Movement of Jewish People in Ukraine in Period 1897-1926.

ROGACHEV III: US Commission No. UA05140502

The mass grave is located at village E, near Christian cemetery. The Hasidic mass grave was dug in 1941. Jews from no other towns or villages were murdered at this unlandmarked mass grave. The isolated rural (agricultural) flat land has signs or plaques in local language. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds. 1 to 20 stones, all in original location with none toppled or broken, date from 1996. No stones were removed. Some tombstones have other metallic elements. The site contains marked mass graves. Municipality owns property used for mass burial site. Properties adjacent are agricultural and Christian cemetery. The mass grave boundaries is larger now than 1939. Rarely, Jewish or non-Jewish private visitors and local residents visit. This mass grave was not vandalized. Local/municipal authorities erected stones in 1996. Occasionally, authorities clean or clear. Within the limits of the mass grave are no structures. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access and vandalism. Slight threat: weather erosion, pollution, and vegetation and proposed nearby development.
Kogan Leonid of Novograd-Volynskiy, Lenina St., 107, Apt. 42 [Phone: (04141) 54259 ] visited site on 12/7/96. Interviewed was Strilchuk Anatoliy Pavlovich of Baranovka, Kirova St., 7a [Phone: 42376] on 12/7/96. Kogan completed survey on 13/07/1996. Documentation: newspaper Slovo Polissya, Strilchuk A.P. Other documentation exists but was inaccess