STEPAN: may be buried at Kostopol
STEPAN: US Commission No. UA17310101
Alternate name: Stepa (German), Stefan (Hungarian) and Szczpan (Czech.) Stepan is located in Rovenskaya at 51º8 26º18, 62 km from Rovno. The cemetery is located at crossroads S. Bendery St. & 8th March St. 52. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Town officials: Village Executive Council, 265471, Stepan, Kievskaya St. 15 [Phone: (03655) 41249]. Utility Services of Collective Business 'Polesk' at Shevchenko St. 93 b [Phone: (03655) 41203].
- Regional: Bureau of Memorial Protection, Oblast Local History Museum of Rovno, Dragomanova 19 [Phone: (03622) 21833]. State Oblast Archive of Rovno, Moskovskaya St. 26a [Phone: (03622) 33004].
- Jewish Community of Rovno, Shkolnaya 39 [Phone: (03622) 69993].
The earliest known Jewish Community was 17th century. 1939 Jewish population (census) was 1325. Effecting Jewish Community were Khmelnitskiy's pogroms and World War I. The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery was established in 17th or 18th century with last known Jewish burial 1942. Jewish community was Karlin-Stolin Hasidic. The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. A broken fence with no gate surrounds the cemetery. 1 to 20 common tombstones, all in original location with less than 25% toppled or broken, date from 18th to 20th century. Location of any removed stones is unknown. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Municipality owns site used for agriculture (crops or animal grazing.) Properties adjacent are residential. The cemetery boundaries are smaller now than 1939 because of commercial or industrial development. Local residents visit rarely. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II and not in the last ten years. Local/municipal authorities fixed wall. There is no maintenance. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Serious threat: pollution (Need fences and caretaker. Local residence falling cattle. [sic]) Moderate threat: vandalism. Slight threat: uncontrolled access, vegetation, and existing nearby and proposed development.
Kirzhner Moisey of 263005, Lutsk, Grushevskogo Prospect 18, Apt.38 [Phone: (03322) 34775] visited site and completed survey on 9/9/96. Interviewed were Bogonoc G.A, Tyvongu G.P. of Rafalovka on 9/9/96. Documentation: See section 14 [sic].
