NEJIN

NEJIN: 251200 US Commission No. UA24070101
Alternate name: Nizyn (German), Niezyn (Hungarian) and Nezin (Ukraine). Nejin 251200 is located in Chernigovskaya at 51º3 31º53, 126 km from Kiev and 80 km from Chernigov. Present town population is 25,001-100,000 with 101-1,000 Jews.
-- Officials: Unknown. Caretaker: Afanasev Ivan Savelievich of (04631)23076.
     The earliest known Jewish community was 1792. 1926 Jewish population (census) was 6131. The last known Hasidic burial was 1994. The unlandmarked location is isolated suburban agricultural flat land with inscriptions in Hebrew on gate or wall. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. Hedges or trees surround the cemetery. There is no gate. 501 to 5000 stones, most in original location with less than 25% toppled or broken, date from the 18th century. The cemetery has special sections for men, women, rabbis, and suicides. Some tombstones have traces of paint on their surfaces, iron decorations or lettering, other metallic elements, portraits on stones and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Municipality owns property used for Jewish cemetery and other. Properties adjacent are agricultural. The cemetery boundaries are larger now than 1939. Frequently, organized Jewish group tours or pilgrimage groups, organized individual tours, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors and local residents visit. The cemetery was vandalized prior to and during World War II. Jewish individuals abroad cleaned stones and cleared vegetation in 1987-1988. The government pays the regular caretaker. Within the limits of the cemetery is a pre-burial house, an ohel, a well and other structures. The pre-burial house has a tahara (table) and other distinctive features. Moderate threat: vegetation. Slight threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion, pollution and vandalism.
     Sokolova Eleonora Evgenievna of 253152, Kiev, Tychini Prospect 5, Apt. 68 [Phone: (044)5505681] visited site and completed survey on 9/1/94. Interviewed was Reyner Semen Moiseevich,Boris Moiseevich of Podvoyskogo.,8, apt.4 [Phone: (04631)22413] and Simonenko Vladimir Ivanovich [Phone: (04631)22052] and Kats Iosif Zinovevich [Phone: (04631)44504] were all conducted on 9/1/94.