From "The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust" ed. Shmuel Spector and Geoffrey Wigoder (New York: New York University Press; Jerusalem: Yad Vashem Publications, 2001), s.v. “Krasilov.” Volumn II, Page 671. Used with permission.

Translation by Leonid Kogan, November 2008
"Krasilov is a shtetl (mestechko) of Starokonstantinov's district (uezd, in Polish - "powet"), of Krasilov volost' ("gmina" in Polish) and police district, located at the Starokonstantinov - Volochisk road, on the bank of the Sluch river, in 22 versts from uezd center and in 11 versts from Kuz'min. In 1870, there were 653 houses in  Krasilov and 2614 residents with 41% Jews among them. There wer also 3 [Russian Orthodox] churches; 1 Catholic Cathedral, which belonged to Kulchiny parafiahiah; the Synagogue and 2 praying houses. There were also 12 factories producing leather goods, 2 brick plants, the lime stove, the Sugar plant (founded in 1842), and 66 stores.

 In 1573 here, in Krasilov, the brave Rotmistr of Yarmolincy militia of the prince Ostrogsky attacked the Tartars' camp, which was standing nearby,  and killed (cut off) all of them. In 1753, Ignacy Sapieha, the Mstislav voevoda (voevodas were the chief leaders of the large territories, which were called Voevodstvos - E. Sh.) got this territory (Krasilov with 18 surrounding villages), as the present, from the "ordinator" Janush Sangushko, the latest proprietor of Ostrog who inherited it from his ancestors, under the condition to deliver 33 armed riders with horses for the protection of the country. In 1776, Ksaveriy, Prince Sapieha's descendant and heir, who became the Mstislav voevoda, in his turn, got the  privilege to arrange 2-week-long  fairs from the king Stanislav August. Their number was determined as 10. Here, in Krasilov, the artist, Ksaveriy Kanevskij, was born.                  

Copyright © 2008 Barry Chernick