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Jewish Agricultural Colonies, adjacent towns and villages in Southern Ukraine

Sources for the Jewish Agricultural Colonies, adjacent towns and villages, located at various times in Southern Ukraine, Bessarabia, Podolia and the Crimea, are relatively hard to find. This site gathers data about the individual settlements, the points of origin of these settlers and recounts their stories.

Introduction
Colonies

Archival records
Documents online
  • includes lists of names from various sources
Articles
Maps
Photography
Family Histories and Memoirs
Bibliography
Contributors
Links
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Researcher: Chaim Freedman chaimjan@zahav.net.il
Website manager: Max Heffler

News and updates

  • March 2024
  • July 2022
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • July 2020
  • November 2019
  • January 2019
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • December 2017
  • January 2017
  • March 2016
    • Added coordinates and other info to Gelbinova page
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • Jan-July 2010
      Considerable material has been added to the site over the last year. With the growing accessibility of Russian, Belorussian and Ukrainian archives previously undiscovered material comes to light. Descendants of colonists, living in the former Soviet Union, are extracting material and developing their own sites.

      1. Two Russian books which contain extremely valuable information about the Ekaterinoslav colonies:

        The books are the result of a very detailed census of the colonies made by Uleinikov in 1890 and Kankrin in 1893. Each book has an introduction with a general overview and statistics. The authors are quite biased - Uleinikov is a supporter of Jewish agricultural colonies and Kankrin is a severe critic. The most valuable feature of these books is the detailed census of the colonists' households. The books have also a brief overview of each colony with summary of history and facilities. Kankrin's book has detailed house/street handwritten plans of the ten colonies he studied, including sketches of the types of buildings.

        Uleinikov has complete lists of heads of all families (surname, name and patronymic) in 17 colonies of Ekaterinoslav Province, Aleksandovsk and Mariupol Uyezds, with detailed record of family composition, military service, type of house, agricultural implements, livestock, land and its subdivision within family and notes about profession etc.

        Kankrin studied in a similar fashion 10 colonies in Aleksandrovsk Uyezd and has even more information about colonists' families. He was obsessed with the idea that colonists in reality remained artisans and not worked much as agriculturalists.

        Preface by the translator

        Translation of the Foreword to Uleynikov's book.

        "Life on the Jewish Agricultural colonies – success or failure"
        Opinions on the validity of the conclusions of Uleynikov and Kankrin.

        Example for the Komisaruk family of Grafskoy.

      2. Holocaust
        Interview of Ukrainian residents of former Jewish colony Novozlatopol by Father Patrick Desbois
        a horrifying account which demonstrates who actually carried out the massacre of nearly 800 Jews
      3. Photographs from the St. Petersburg Film archive and World ORT Photographic archive taken of many colonies in 1904 and 1922 showing public buildings such as schools, synagogues, municipal offices, and farmhouses.
      4. "Nayzlatopler Rayon" [Novozlatopol Region] an account of the Sovietized colonies after the Revolution and Civil War.
        "Destruction of Jewish Tradition under the Soviet Administration"
        An article assessing the affect of Sovietization on the destruction of Jewish cultural and religious life with particular reference to the role of the Yevsekzia.
      5. Revision lists from colonies Zelenopole and Mezhirech, 1850 and 1858.
        Original Russian lists:
      6. Memoirs of Grafskoy 1907-1921by the son of a rabbi of the colony include description of life on the colony and the reaction to the pogroms during the Russian Civil War which took place after the Revolution.
      7. Prenumeranten Lists [The list of subscribers] from two books published in 1911 which include many residents of the colonies.
      8. Excerpts from Jewish Agriculturalists 1807- 1887 (V. Nikitin)
        extracts
        Biography

        Original of the book in Google.

      9. Links – a new page with links to useful sites.
      10. Land Measurements
      11. Yakov Pasik's Russian site is updated from time to time. The site includes material in both English and Russian together with photographs and maps.

      Thanks go to those who extracted, translated, processed and contributed to the acquisition of this material:

      Bernshtam, Pavel
      Comisarow, Mel
      Farber-Sherman, Mitja
      Freedman, Chaim
      Giller, Lisa.
      Govor, Elena
      Heffler, Max
      Komissarouk, Joseph
      Pasik, Yakov
      Ronn, Michoel
      Volunteers are sought for further translations.

  • 21 Dec 2009. Mezhirech colonist list (1890)
  • 26 Jun 2009.
    • Photos of Ekaterinoslav colony synagogues, schools, administrative offices and general scenes from St.Petersberg Central State Archive of cinema, photo and phono documents (1904).
    • Maps of colonies 1865 from Yakov Pasik's site The Guide to Jewish Agricultural Colonies of South Ukraine
  • 8 Jun 2009. Zatishye colony - donor list from Hamaggid Hebrew newspaper 1872
  • 3 Jun 2009. Translation of names from Dobra colony
  • 6 Mar 2009.
  • 21 Feb 2009. Prenumeranten list of 2000 names in colonies and towns of Yekaterinoslav and Kherson Guberniyas,  from 'Imrei Shmuel', Part three, 1912.. Donated by Michoel Ronn, New York
  • 27 Sep 2008. Grafskoy revision list 1858.
  • 2 Apr 2008. Mezherich revision list, 1858. Donated by Michoel Ronn, New York
  • 8 Aug 2006. An article aboutcantonists onhttp://www.jewish-history.com web site.
    This article gives background for one of the reasons our ancestors fled
    Lithuania/Latvia to settle on the Ukrainian colonies and also later fled
    Europe for the USA/Canada/Australia/S.Africa
    /England etc.
  • 8 Aug 2006. Yakov Pasik's created english pages on his excellent website:
  • 5 Apr 2006. Yakov Pasik's site was updated with 2 new pages:
  • History of Lvovo by Albert Kaganovitch was added to the Lvovo page.
  • Jewish agricultural colonies site in russian, created by Yakov Pasik.
  • 5 Oct 2005. Duma voters list from Melitopol uyezd contributed by Victor Kumok. See
    Documents online page.
  • 30 Aug 2005. People who moved from Kovno Gubernia to Grafskoy (1850-1852). All pages scanned.
  • 8 Aug 2005. Ukrainian pogroms page completely rewritten.
  • 8 Aug 2005. Colonists who moved from Vitebsk Gubernia to Novozlatopol (1850-1852). All pages scanned.
  • 6 July 2005. FamilyHistories and Memoirs: "The Progress Of My Migration". Jacob Leib Mendelson (formerly Komesarook), Melbourne, Australia, 1919
  • 1 June 2005. Holocaust page completely updated.
  • 4 May 2005. Colonists lists:
    • People who moved from Kovno Gubernia to Grafskoy (1850-1852)
    • People who moved from Vitebsk Gubernia to Novozlatopol (1850-1852).
  • 4 May 2005. On the Photography/ Places page - 2 pictures from Yad VaShem valley of communities.
  • 4 May 2005. The Interlocking Melbourne RussiansPublished in Roots-Key, Newsletter of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los
    Angeles, with thepermission of the editor Nancy Holden.
  • 9 May 2005. Mass grave in Trudolyubovka. 1919.
  • 5 May 2005.Report about trip to city of Ekaterinoslav and colonies of Guliaipole district in the period November 24 – December 3 1924. Obtained by Mel Comisarow, translated by Joseph Komissarouk.
  • 5 May 2005. Holocaust victims, killed in Novozlatopol and region.
  • 5 May 2005.Archival records page was updated.
  • 5 May 2005. A link to Efingar colony page in russian was added to the kehilallinks Efingar page.
  • Voters lists: Shultz andBeizitzer election for Ekaterinoslav Gub. colonies (1861-1869), including partially translation.
  • Grafskoy colony census (1858) - original document and translated surnames list.
  • Colonists letters to the governors
  • Remember to check the Yad Vashem database. The Central database of the Shoah victims' names. There are many people who came from our colonies and towns. Search by surname and by town name.
  • Odessa Archive Holdings about Jews
  • Trip to Zaporozhye
  • farmers

    visitors since 26 April 2005

    Research contact: Chaim Freedman

    Site Designed by Pavel Bernshtam and Maintained by Max Heffler
     Original site compiled by Nancy Holden

     

    We need your help!

    In order to create a on-line database with colonists names we need volunteers who can translate documents, such as census, metrical books, shultz election lists etc. Write us if you have appropriate skills (Russian, Hebrew) and the time!

     All Rights Reserved.

    All photographs on this site may be copied only with the permission of the original owner.

    All rights reserved on original research articles. For reproduction, please contact Nancy Holden.

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    Research Contact: Chaim Freedman
    This page maintained by Max Heffler
    Updated Thursday March 07 2024. Copyright © 1999 [Jewish Agricultural Colonies of the Ukraine]. All rights reserved.