On September 17, 1939 the territory of Western Belarus became part of the Soviet Union, what was the beginning of repressions against the spiritual leaders of all faiths including Jews. By February 1, 1940 there were 387 operating synagogues in Western Belarus. It was around the time when authorities began not only shutting down synagogues and yeshivas, but they started…
At the beginning of 20th century, the hotel business became of one of the fastest growing businesses. It was due to the fact that in large cities and towns population was rapidly growing. In order to run the hotel business, business owners had to purchase a special license. Jews understood the demand and they started constructing and converting existing buildings…
Regardless of how difficult the time were Jewish parents always understood the importance of education and they tried to make sure that their children get the best education possible. In the former USSR in 1929, every third doctor was Jewish. In modern times, about 25% of Nobel Prize in medicine winners are Jews. Below is the list of 100 Jewish…
Lida, Suvalkovskaya Street early 20th century. This is part 2 of the list of Polish-born Jews, which returned to Poland from town Lida. It lists 25 families, which travelled between February 2 and November 30, 1946
During the second half of the 19th-century, photography became very popular in the Russian Empire. New photography studios were opening in the large cities. As in other businesses, Jews became active in this new field. Sculpture of early 20th century photographer installed in Minsk About half of all photo studios in the Pale of Settlement, belonged to Jews in the…
During the 18th-19th centuries in the Russian Empire, one of the harshest punishments was the transport of criminals to hard-labor camps in eastern Siberia. The climate there was terrible: In the winter, it was freezing; and in the summer it was very hot and humid. Swarms of mosquitoes and many wild animals made living conditions worse. The first prisoners were…
In September 1939, as a result of the agreement between Germany and USSR, part of the eastern region of Poland was added to Belarus. More than 350,000 Polish Jews became citizens of the USSR. Vilenskaya Street (currently Sovetskaya Street ) in town Lida – Beginning 20th century In 1940, an additional 66.000 Polish Jews asked the Soviet government for asylum…
Earlier this month, during demolition of an old house in Grodno, contractors found a container hidden in a basement wall. It contained 11 gold coins dating back to 1897-98, and a gold wedding ring inscribed in Hebrew: “Rebecca, beginning of Iyar.” The estimated value of the find is $3,000. The house is on today’s Antonova Street, which was called Jerusalimskaya…
On March 28, 1928, the Communists decided to create a Jewish autonomous region in Siberia, near the Chinese border. The regional capital was to be at the site of a small railroad station, then called Tikhonkaya; later changed to Birobidjan. In early May 1928, the first Jewish migrants arrived by train. Among them were Jews from Belarus. 1930s Railroad station…
By the mid-19th century, Russia had become the largest country exporting linen to Europe. It was used for in the production of fabric, oil, cords and cables. It became one of the fastest-growing industries in Russia. Process of creating linen threads in the early 20th century Some wealthy Jews were investing in linen processing factories, most of which were in northwest Russia, including…
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