Descendants of the Beshenkovichi Jewish community will restore the old cemetery in the district center
Representatives of the Jewish communities of Vitebsk and St. Petersburg have initiated the improvement of one of the oldest Jewish burial sites in Belarus - the cemetery in the town of Beshenkovichi, Vitebsk region. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the head of the Vitebsk Jewish community, historian and journalist Arkady Shulman.
"The last burials were carried out several decades ago. Since there is no longer a Jewish community in Beshenkovichi, and the elderly Jews who live out their days here do not have the strength to clear the cemetery, it has become overgrown with forest and shrubs, and it is sometimes difficult to get to the graves through the debris. A subbotnik (volunteer work day) was held two years ago, but the cemetery fell into disrepair again. The initiative to improve it was supported by the local authorities. A group from Vitebsk, Minsk, and St. Petersburg, whose ancestors lived in the beautiful town of Beshenkovichi, will take part in the improvement. Young people from the Novopolotsk youth public association have also volunteered to participate. The local forestry enterprise, on whose territory the cemetery is located, has also promised to join. And we invite everyone who cares to join this event," said Arkady Shulman.
According to Stanislav Leonenko, the chief custodian of the funds of the district historical and local lore museum, the cemetery is one of the best-preserved ancient Jewish burial sites in Belarus. It occupies an area of 4 hectares (including the fenced-off area - more than 2 hectares) and has over 200 tombstones visible on the surface. Hundreds, and possibly thousands, are located underground. According to the inscriptions on the stones in Hebrew, the oldest burial dates back to 1703.
Vadim Akopyan, Chairman of the Republican Holocaust Foundation and Director of the Museum of the History and Culture of Belarusian Jews, who joined the initiative, added that there are over 200 abandoned Jewish cemeteries throughout Belarus, and the forces of their communities are not enough to put them all in order. One or two are improved per year.
Work on clearing the Beshenkovichi cemetery grounds of debris will begin in the summer. June and August work camps are planned. Enthusiasts will be glad to welcome everyone who wishes to participate in the cemetery improvement work or make a financial contribution.
Ekaterina Knyazeva