NEZHIN

NEZHIN:
Nezhin is a town (pop. 86,000) 90 miles NNE of Kiev. In Czarist times, it was uezd capital in Chernigov guberniya. In the 1880s, there were roughly 250 annual Jewish births. The "new" Jewish cemetery is along a country road perhaps 4-5 miles NE of the center of Nezhin. There is a low fence along the road, but no fence appeared to enclose the other sides. The grounds seem reasonably well maintained in the European fashion in that junk trees are rooted out; and the grass is scythed before it gets taller than waist-high. I do not know who is responsible for administration. There is no office on the premises or any sign directing the visitor to an administration. There is a working well at entrance to provide water for washing. The cemetery seems very large, but graves occupy only a small portion. There are clusters of graves on two sides of a small house rumored to contain the graves of Hasidic "Tsadikim", and several clusters of graves extending into a wooded area. If pressed, I would estimate roughly 500 graves, but I could easily be off by 50%. Graves are clumped in rows 5-10 graves wide. There may be 6-20 rows before a break. Iron railings surround most graves. Apparently, each grave was individual; I saw no couples buried together. The cemetery generally adhered to the pattern of alternative rows for men and women. Most stones were tall, irregular quadrangles rising from rectangular concrete bases. In the Russian style, most stones had either ceramic or incised portraits of the deceased. While some stones had metal markers affixed, most had the information incised on the stone. Hebrew inscriptions were rare; most inscriptions were solely in Russian. More red stars decorate the graves than Jewish stars or other Jewish symbols (though some graves have cut-off tree trunks). I saw no stone with a date of death earlier than 1946. Near the house was a fat, roughly-cut rectangular stone inscribed in Hebrew that looked to be an older style that was partly legible to me, but the woman's year of death was not legible. To reach the cemetery, go N from the center of town on the vul. Moskovskaya. About 1 mile after crossing the Oster River, turn right on vul. Semashko. Where it dead-ends, turn left. (I believe that is the vul. Zavodskaya, but my notes are unclear.) Continue through a wood, across the railroad tracks, then past farm fields on both sides to the cemetery on your right. The entire journey can be made by bicycle, but I believe there is a point that autos cannot pass. I was told that there was a pre-war Jewish cemetery, but that it was completely destroyed in World War II. None of the people I spoke with knew where it was. They all thought that some old-timer might, but we never found one that did. Bert Lazerow, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , fax 619-260-2230, tel 260-4597 310 Law School USD, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego CA 92110-2492 U.S.A. [2000]
NEZHIN:     US Commission No. UA24070501
Alternate name: Nizyn (German), Niezyn (Hungarian) and Nezin (Ukraine). Nezhin is located in Chernigovskaya at 51º3 31º53, 126 km from Kiev, 80 km from Chernigov and 94 km from Konotop. The mass grave is located at Kosmonavtov Street. Present town population is 25,001-100,000 with 101-1,000 Jews.
-- Jewish Community of Kirova Street 21, Apt. 3 [Phone: (04631)33009].
     The earliest known Jewish community was 1792. 1926 Jewish population (census) was 6131. Effecting Jewish Community were 1828, 1881, 1905, 1919 Pogroms. Living in Jewish community were 1st Tsadak Menahem Nahum, son of rabbi Dov Ber Lubavichy, 2d tsadak Shneur, son of rabbi Menahem Mehum and Dob Ber, Israel Noah Shneerson, son of rabbi Menahem Mendel. The Jewish mass grave was dug in 1941 with last known Jewish burial was 1943. Jews from no other towns or villages were murdered at this unlandmarked mass grave. The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by crossing other public property and other, access is open to all. A continuous fence surrounds the mass grave. 1 to 20 common tombstones, all in original location with no surviving stones toppled or broken, date from 1947. No stones were removed. The site contains marked mass graves. Municipality owns mass burial property. Properties adjacent are commercial or industrial. Occasionally, organized individual tours, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors and local residents visit. This mass grave has not been vandalized. Occasionally, authorities clean or clear. Within the limits of the mass grave are no structures. Slight threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion, pollution and vegetation.
     Sokolova Eleonora Evgeniyevna of 253152, Kiev, Tychiny Prospect 5, Apt. 68 [Phone: (044)5505681] visited site and completed survey on 2/12/94. Interviewed on 2/12/94 were Reyner Semen Moiseevich of Podvoyskogo Street 8, apt.4 [Phone: (04631)22413] and Fyzhova Tatyana Ivanovna [Phone: (04631)23176].