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Appendix 10

Materials on the Massacres of Jews in Kopaigorod
During the Ukrainian Revolution

Some time after the units of the Ukrainian army entered Kopayhorod in 1919, the commandant of the town, Colonel Ratushny, ordered the Jewish community to collect funds (donations) for the maintenance of the commandant's office. Such money was collected in the amount of 5,000 krb. He even issued a receipt that he received the money.

 

Kop800.jpg
Receipt from Colonel Ratushny for the money he received from the Jewish community.
August 7, 1919.

 

An eyewitness of those events wrote the following about the pogroms: “After the troops of the Ukrainian People's Republic entered the town, the peaceful Jewish population was told that they could leave their shelters. However the troops began to beat and kill the Jews as they lured them out. One of the first to be killed was Dats, who was cut into three parts; another Jew was ordered to bury him on the spot. Twenty-one people were killed. The looting of houses and raping of women began. The entire Jewish population was robbed and left without means of subsistence. Peasants were forbidden to sell food to Jews. All of this was happening despite the fact that the Jews built a hospital for wounded Cossacks at their own expense, and Jewish women took care of the wounded.”

 

Kop801.jpg
Eyewitness information about the events in Kopaigorod, 1919

 

Taking into account the situation in which the Jews of Kopayhorod found themselves, community representatives Yosyp Levenheit and Israel-Moishe Kovak wrote a letter to the Minister of Jewish Affairs of the Ukrainian People's Republic on August 16, 1919. In the letter, they reported that on Tuesday, June 25, 1919, the Blue Division of the 7th and 9th regiments entered the town and began looting the Jewish population. Nine people were killed in one hour. Then they took 44 people, beat them and sent them to the headquarters in Maryanivka. There they were beaten again, and then sent to Novaya Ushytsa, where they were released. Now they are crippled and sick. During this time, the Cossacks continued to loot until they retreated to Sharhorod, and the city became relatively calm. Five days later, the Zaporizhia regiment entered and the robberies and murders began again. Six people were killed. Every day the regiment hired 30-40 people aged 60-70 and these people worked hard without food. In the village of Popov, Cossacks killed 12 Jews and looted the town. In general, damages were caused in the amount of 20 million krb. The peasants refused to sell food to the Jews. And that's why the Jews decided to turn to the minister for urgent help. On September 1, 1919, the special commission of inquiry to investigate the anti-Jewish pogroms entrusted the investigator of the 4th quarter of Mogilev district Uspensky with the case about the pogroms in Kopaigorod on June 25.

 

Kop802.jpg
Portion of a letter from the Jewish community of Kopaigorod to the Minister of Jewish Affairs, August 16, 1919

 

Translation:

To Mr. Minister of Jewish affairs
17 August 1919
Representative of the town of Kopaigorod Mogiliev povit

On Tuesday 25 June, the 7th and 9th Petrliurivsi Divisions entered Kopaigorod. They started robbing everybody. On Friday they left in the morning and came back later the same day. They severely beat innocent people, both young and old. Those who were seen by the soldiers at the time they were marauding, were shot. The soldiers killed 9 people during 1 hour. Then they took 44 people from their houses and beat them. These 44 people were taken to the headquarters in Maryanovka, where they were beaten for the whole day. They were then taken to Novaya Ushytsa where they were freed, but all of them are ill now from their injuries. The Cossacks have been robbing the town all this time. They took the clothes off of people and tore up pillows and pillowcases. Then they went to Shargorod where it was still calm. Those who managed to hide their belongings, started removing them for the next 4-5 days. Suddenly the Zaporizhhia detachment arrived here and started beating and robbing the people. This violence lasted until Sunday. They killed 6 people and there were 15 victims in total. The Zaporizhhia detachment gathered 30-40 people in one house and found all of their belongings. Our town got poor in the proper sense of the word. They made old people, 60-70 years old, work every day till 12 p.m. without food. All of our storage rooms remained empty. There is hunger in our town.

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