VERHOVNYA: US Commission No. UA05630501
Verhovnya is located in Zhitomirskaya. 100 km from Zhitomir. The mass grave is located at W, on the land of Christian cemetery. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Town officials: Village Executive Council Chairman Chagarova Oksana Petrovna [Phone: (04138) 21830]. Paschenko Olga Yakovlevna.
- Regional: Cultural Memorial Protection Society-Borisyuk N.E. [Phone: (0412) 370807]. Town officials: Regional Dept. of Culture-Hitryy Aleksey Ivanovich [Phone: (04138) 21103].
The earliest known Jewish community was 1860. 1926 Jewish population (census) was 2739. Effecting the Jewish Community was 1930 synagogue closing. The Jewish mass grave was dug in 1941 with last known Hasidic burial 1941. No other towns or villages Jews were murdered at this unlandmarked mass grave. The rural (agricultural) hillside, part of a municipal cemetery, has no sign or marker. Reached by crossing other public property (on the land of Christian cemetery), access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds the mass grave. 1 to 20 stones, all in original location with none toppled or broken, date from 1980. 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 Christian cemetery. The mass grave boundaries are larger now than 1939. Rarely, local residents visit. This site was not vandalized. Local/municipal authorities did re-erection of stones 1980. There is no maintenance. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access, vegetation and vandalism. Slight threat: weather erosion and pollution.
Kogan Leonid of Novograd-Volynskiy, Lenina St. 107, Apt. 42 [Phone: (04141) 54259] visited site on 16/07/1996. Interviewed was Paschenko Olga Yakovlevna of Lenina St. 9 on 16/07/1996. Kogan completed survey on 19/07/1996. Documentation:
Jewish Encyclopaedia.
