Trip to Mscibow (Amstibava) Belarus, 1990

Carrie Supple

In 1990, Carrie Supple visited Mscibow Belarus. Below are pictures of her trip, which she has graciously agreed to share with us. Thank you, Carrie.

Carrie and a friend were shown round Amstibava by a farmer from the village. All the photo captions are based on the information he gave them. He took them to the house of Franz Ivanovich Okulinsky - the oldest man in Amstibava. He was 92 and said that he remembered 2 men by the name of Kalir who left the village for America in the 1930's.

On her return to England, Carrie wrote to Franz Ivanovich (with the help of a Russian speaking friend). In order to find out more about the history of the Jews in Amstibava. He sent back two letters (the information is quite superficial) and he spoke of there being one survivor of the Nazi massacre. Apparently this man went to Warsaw. Carrie made some enquirires but did not manage to trace him.

These pictures have traveled the roads of our forefathers till they reached this site. Carrie from England went to visit Mscibow, were she took these pictures. She sent them to Nancy in California, who sent them to Mario, whose family settled in Argentina, who sent them to me, here in Israel to put on this web site. We see something symbolic in that these pictures have been in the different countries were our forefathers settled upon there leaving Mscibow.

Carrie by the sign to Wolkovysk.
The scenery around Mscibow
2 kilometers to Mscibow.
Carrie by the sign at the entrance to Mscibow.
Carrie in Mscibow.
"Where the Jews lived before the
war." according to the farmer. But
which war? WWI? or WWII?
"Where the Synagogue stood."
according to the farmer.
"The remains of the Mikvah."
according to the farmer.
The Catholic church.
Courtyard of house in Mscibow
Backyard with fruit trees and wooden fence.
View of end of house in Mscibow.
Wook stack near back of
house in Mscibow.
"Possible the Rabbi's house,
where the Kalir family lived",
according to an old resident
of the town.
A farmer said "a Jewish blacksmith lived here."
The farmer said "poor Jews lived
here." But since this house is close
to the church, I can't help
wondering if this could have
been the Kalir residence before
WWI.
Fallen grave stone in Mscibow.
Grave stone
Copyright © 2001 Carrie Supple