Pavoloch, also known as ''Pavolitsh'' in

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

, ''Pawolotsch'' in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, Па́волочь in

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and ''Pawołocz'' in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

, is a selo in Zhytomyr Raion,

Zhytomyr Oblast Zhytomyr Oblast ( uk, Жито́мирська о́бласть, translit=Zhytomyrska oblast), also referred to as Zhytomyrshchyna ( uk, Жито́мирщина}) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the obla ...

, Ukraine. It was a town of the

Cossack Hetmanate The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...

and an administrative seat of Pavoloch Regiment (province).

Jewish history

It is estimated that Pavoloch was founded sometime in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, but it first appeared on Ruthenian chronicles in 1503. The majority of Pavoloch's inhabitants were

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. The Jews in Pavoloch, as in many other shtetls, were victims of constant prejudice. When they got fed up with being harassed, the citizens build a wooden fort around their shtetl, which gave Pavoloch's inhabitants increased protection against invaders. It was a good thing that the people of Pavoloch built their fort, because their settlement was a constant pit-stop for advancing and retreating armies. Aside from the occasional prejudice, the Jews of Pavoloch lived in harmony with one another, with no fights breaking out among themselves. In 1736, a rebellious paramilitary group, the Haidamakas, carried out a massacre against the Jews of Pavoloch, killing 35 people. When they finished pillaging the shtetl, the killers hastily left. Ironically, only 3 decades afterwards, Pavoloch's population began to increase, with a total population of 1,041 in 1765. In 1910, Pavoloch's population swelled to 15,454 people. During the Russian Civil War of 1917-1923, most of the inhabitants of Pavoloch left, most likely in fear of the encroaching

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

army. The brave, remaining Jews stayed in Pavoloch, throughout the war. The population continued to decline, up to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, during

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

, when a Nazi Einsatzgruppen (SS) squad drove into Pavoloch. The Nazis rounded up all the Jews, and killed them in what is known as the Pavoloch Massacre, making them dig their own graves before shooting them. To this day, there are no Jews in Pavoloch. Today, Pavoloch remains a historic community, visited by tourists, descendants of men and women who lived in the shtetl, and people who are interested in its history.

Location

Pavoloch is 100 km southwest of

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

, in the

Geography

Pavoloch's geography is fairly flat, with forested plains. It is on the Rostovista River, also known as the Dnieper Basin.

Notable people

* Franciszek Kowalski (1799–1862), Polish poet

References

{{Zhytomyr Oblast Skvirsky Uyezd Cossack Hetmanate Kiev Voivodeship Shtetls Jewish Ukrainian history Holocaust locations in Ukraine Villages in Zhytomyr Raion Zhytomyr Raion