BALANIVKA:

Alternate name: Balanovka.

US Commission No. UA01360501
Balanovka is located in Vinnitskaya, 20 km from Bershad, 45 km from Balta, 110 km from Uman, and 215 km from Vinnitsa. The mass grave is located at west on the road to Obodovka. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.

• Town: Bershad Region Executive committee of Chairman-Zabolotniy Grigoriy Mikhaylovich [ph: (04352) 21205]. Bershad Regional Department of Culture of Gerasimchuk Nadezhda Nikolayevna.
  
• Regional: Vinnitsa Oblast Executive committee of Chairman-Ilchuk Nikolay Nikolaevich. Vinnitsa Oblast Department of Culture of Ilchuk Nikolay Nikolaevich. Others: Vinnitsa Oblast Department of Jewish Culture of Gubenko Bella Aronovna.

The earliest known Jewish community was 1700. 1939 Jewish population (census) was 9116. Effecting Jewish community were 1768, 1772 1882, 1905, and 1920 Pogroms. The unlandmarked Jewish mass grave was dug in 1941 for Jews of the town. The isolated suburban and rural (agricultural) hillside with no sign or marker is reached by village road. Access is open to all with no wall, fence, or gate. The approximate size is now 0.01 hectares. No stones were removed. The site contains unmarked mass graves. The municipality owns the property only used for agriculture (crops or animal grazing). Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, local residents visit. No vandalism, maintenance, or structures reported. Vegetation overgrowth is a seasonal problem preventing access. Water drainage is a seasonal problem. Very serious threat: uncontrolled access. Moderate threat: weather erosion, pollution, vegetation and vandalism. Slight threat: existing and proposed nearby development.
Oks Vladimir Moiseevich of 270065, Ukraine, Odessa, Varnenskaya 17d, a.52 [ph: (0482) 665950] visited site in 05/1994 in 09/1989 and interviewed Polyak S.Y. of Balta in 05/1994 and Rukhvag N.Y. of Balta in 05/1994. He completed survey on 03/05/1995. Documentation: Odessa Oblast State Archives Fond P-2255,1, ñ. 1129, 1135, 1359, 1365, 1400, 1403. Other documentation was inaccessible.