SELETS, BELARUS
Селец
Establishment of Selets
April 13, 1835 Decree of Emperor Nikolai I : “Regulations about Jews”
March 12, 1836 Decree of Governor of Mogilev Guberniya
-Designate for the long time lease 95 desaytin of land, whish is located 8 verst south of town Mogilev by village Seletz for the for foundation of Jewish agricultural colony in Mogilev uezd. The colony should be named Seletz II.
Records revealed in the archive fond “Chancellery of Mogilev Governor” 1795-1917
May 20, 1836
Petition from 30 Jewish families was received. They would like to exercise their land lease right and move to the colony Seletz II of Mogilev uezd.
6 families from Vileika uezd
6 families from Borisov uezd
5 families from Beshenkovichy uezd
4 families from Shklov uezd
4 families from Bobruisk uezd
4 families from Slutzk uezd
1 family from Mogilev
Total amount of people - 186, male age from 17 to 50 years old - 33 people.
May 31, 1836
Colony residents were granted a right cut down 80 desyatin of forest with no charge for house construction purposes.
January 1, 1837
Number of houses - 14
Number of residents – 193
Size of leased land – 95 desyatin
June 30, 1838
Number of horses- 2
Number of caws- 3
Size of sowed land- 39 desyatin
September 1, 1845
Number of hired Christians- 2 (all residents of village Seletz)
April 11, 1846
Decree to allow the use of 7 desyatin of land for foundation of Jewish cemetery.
October 1, 1846
Harvested 11 pudov of wheat and 3 puda of oats
December 22, 1849
In colony Seletz II 19 houses have been built. Each house constructed of 2 separated halves. Each half occupied by a family. Roofs of homes are thatch. Floor made out of clay. Average amount of children is each family is 6. Each house has a wooden addition which is used as a cattle shad. Except for Jews, two Christian families build homes in colony.
November 4, 1850
Number of horses- 4
Number of cows- 9
November 28, 1850
Colony residents request a permission from Mogilev governor to build a wooden synagogue; occupancy for 75 people.
January 1, 1851
Number of Jewish families- 41
Total amount of Jews- 296
Number of Christian families- 2
Total amount of Christians- 13
March 17, 1852
Itzka Rozenberg and Shmuil Shtein, both Mogilev melameds, received permission to teach Torah laws in the colony.
January 1, 1855
Number of Jews working on a land – 52
Number of Jews in trade- 14
Number artisans- 16
Number of Christians working on a land- 6
April 23, 1857
Number of cheders in colony -3
Number of synagogue- 1
May 29, 1858
Number of horses- 5
Number of cows- 11
November 18, 1858
Number of dead from cholera -9
November 20, 1858
Jews received permission to lease additionally 98 desyatin of land.
January 1, 1860
Number of homes - 26
Number of Jews – 390
Number of Christians -18
April 28, 1861
Permission to build a mill in colony was granted.
November 6, 1861
10 Jewish families (72 people) from Cherikov are moving in to the colony.
January 1, 1865
Number of homes - 31
Total number of Jews - 481
Total number of Christians- 22
January 1, 1867
List of colony’s artisans:
Smiths- 2 people
Tailors- 4 people
Shoemakers 3 people
November 30, 1867
Number of horses- 5
Number of cows- 14
December 5, 1867
3 Jewish families (21 people) are moving out to Mogilev
October 30, 1874
Number of Jews – 505
Number of Christians – 26
October 30, 1897
Number of Jews – 561
Number of Christians – 43
January 1, 1898
Number of Jewish families – 64
Number of Christians families- 6
January 1, 1900
Wodden homes- 39
Brick homes- 2
Horses- 5
Cows- 21
Total amount of residents- 612
January 1, 1901
Number of cheders - 4
Number of synagogue- 1
Total number of Jews- 572
November 20, 1905
Size of sowed land is 193 desyatin
Number of horses- 5
Number of cows- 21
Establishment of Selets
Copyright © 2009 Bob Ruskin
This information was provided by:
Jewish Heritage Research Group in Belarus from the Belarussian Nation Archives
SELETS, BELARUS