DRUZHBA: US Commission No. UA18160501
Druzhba is 20 km from Yampol' and 220 km from Sumy. The mass burial is on the public garden at the center of the town. Present town population is 5,001-25,000 with no Jews.
- Town officials: Executive Committee of Settlement Soviet - Chairman-Fashchuk Anna Ivanovna [Phone: (05456) 51033].
- Regional officials: Regional State Department - Chairman-Fesenko.: State Department of of Chairman-Epifanov.
- Jewish Community of Sumy - Chairman Lishchinsky Alexandr Il'ich [Phone: 05422) 251432].
- Others: Local History Museum of Sumy of Chief of Department-Vos'mirova Larisa Vasilievna [Phone: 05422) 222537].
The earliest known Jewish community was 19th century. Events effecting the Jewish community were 1881 and 1905 pogroms, Civil War, and the Holocaust. The last known Hasidic (Khabad) Jewish burial was 1943 for Druzhba Jews only. The unlandmarked mass grave location is urban, flat land, part of a municipal cemetery, with signs or plaques in Ukrainian mentioning the Holocaust. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds the site. 1 to 20 stones, all in their original location, date from 20th century. No stones were removed. The mass grave has tombstones metal fences around graves. The site contains marked mass graves. Municipality owns mass grave now used for the mixed burials. Properties adjacent are residential. The mass grave boundaries are larger now than 1939. The mass grave is visited occasionally by organized individual tours, private visitors (Jewish or non-Jewish) and local residents. This mass grave has not been vandalized. Cleaning stones and clearing vegetation by local/municipal authorities was done in 1956 to 1996. Now, there is occasional clearing or cleaning by authorities. Within the limits of the mass grave are no structures. Slight threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion, (Water drainage at the mass grave is a seasonal problem.) vegetation and vandalism. No threat: pollution, existing nearby development or proposed nearby development.
Khodorkovsky Yuri Isaakovich visited site on 12/10/96. No interviews. He completed survey on 23/10/96.
