Alexander Litin, Ida Shenderovich

ZAVERESHIE AND VOROTYNSHINA, THE HISTORY OF THE SETTLEMENTS

Olga Trofimovna is showing the place
where thy synagogue once stood.

Before the war this used to be a Jewish settlement with about 30-40 Jewish settlements. In 1941 the village was burnt down by Nazis and all its residents – shot.

From the stories of the residents of the neighboring villages of Zaverezhie and Vorotynshina (23 km away from Mogilev):

Execution site of the Jews from Zaverezhie. Today there is a pond next to it.

Reburial site of the Jews from Zaverezhie at the Jewish cemetery between the villages of Zaverezhie and Vorotynshina.
Memorial erected in the 1970s – 80s.

From the memories of Olga Trofimovna Lebedeva, born in 1922

They say that Jews chose this location to establish a new settlement and called the village Zaverezhie. This is a picturesque place with hills, green meadows and a forest. There used to be a lot of houses here. Now there are none. There were 30-35 Jewish houses and about 10 Belarusian. All the residents were on friendly terms. Next to us lived Bera Talalai, his wife and their two sons: Yanka and Elia. They were all killed in the war. There was a rabbi, Girsha. He had a son. They were also killed. His two daughters lived in Mogilev. It seems to me, they survived.

The village had a two-storey synagogue and a Jewish school. In about 1938 both the synagogue and the school were closed down.

Jewish cemetery in Zaverezhie.

On Friday evening the Jews would all go out, nicely dressed. They would walk in the street. On Saturdays and other Jewish holiday they did not work. They would pray in groups. On these days the local Belarusian residents would help them, milk their cows and even feed the babies.

When there were Russian holidays, the Jews would also pay their respect – they did not do any loud work. Jews gave us matsot on Passover, and we gave them eggs and buns at Easter.

Some people used to have pigs, while others would even not touch pork. No one drank alcohol, neither Jews nor Belarusians.

We all used to speak Yiddish, but later forgot it. There were even mixed marriages, but that was rare.

Zaverezhie today.

Before the war some Jews left the village. The rest were all killed.

I remember when fascists arrived. At that time we were all on a field. They took 12 Jewish men and shot them near the main road. One of them, an old man Tsukeila was wounded on the cheek. He came to our house at night and we gave him shelter. However, later someone reported on him and Nazis took him away. They did not do us any harm. But the old man was killed. Then the women were taken away…

(from the project “Lessons of the Holocaust”)

Photos taken by Alexander Litin

Jewish settlements in Mogilev region

Mogilev• Antonovka• Batsevichi• Belynichi• Belynkovichi• Bobruisk• Byhov• Chausy• Cherikov• Dashkovka• Dribin• Esmony• Glusk• Golovchin• Gorki• Gory• Grozdianka• Hotimsk• Kirovsk• Klichev• Konohovka• Kostukovichi• Krichev• Krucha• Krugloye• Lenino• Lubonichi• Martinovka• Moliatichi• Mstislavl• Naprasnovka• Osipovichi• Rodnia• Rudkovschina• Samotevichi• Sapezhinka• Selets• Shamovo• Shepelevichi• Shklov• Slavgorod• Staroselie• Sukhari• Svisloch• Vereschaki• Zaverezhie• Zhilichi•