Shatsk (, , yi, שאצק ''Shatsk'') is an

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlementrussian: посёлок городско́го ти́па, translit=posyolok gorodskogo tipa, abbreviated: russian: п.г.т., translit=p.g.t.; ua, селище міського типу, translit=selyshche mis'koho typu, ab ...

Volyn Oblast Volyn Oblast ( uk, Воли́нська о́бласть, translit=Volýnsʹka óblastʹ; also referred to as Volyn or Lodomeria) is an oblast (province) in northwestern Ukraine. Its administrative centre is Lutsk. Kovel is the westernmost town ...

, Kovel Raion,

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

, to the north-west of

Kovel Kovel (, ; pl, Kowel; yi, קאוולע / קאוולי ) is a city in Volyn Oblast (province), in northwestern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kovel Raion (district). Population: Kovel gives its name to one of the oldest run ...

. Population: The village is situated in a picturesque area in the western part of Volyn Woodlands, surrounded by lakes, which are sometimes called Shatsky (Velyke Chorne,

Svitiaz Svitiaz ( uk, Сві́тязь; be, Свіцязь; pl, Świtaź; russian: Свитязь) is the deepest lake in Ukraine, with a maximum depth of 58.4 m. It is the second largest in the country. Svitiaz belongs to groups of Shatsk's lakes, whi ...

, Pulemetske, Luka, Liutsymer, Somynets, Karasynets, Ozertse). In 2017, a postage stamp featuring the coat of arms of Shatsk was released by

Ukrposhta JSC Ukrainian Postal Service or Ukrposhta ( uk, Укрпошта) is the national postal service of Ukraine. It is a public company with 100% state ownership due to its strategic importance. In 1999–2015 it was a unitary enterprise of the gove ...

History

In Ukrainian sources, the town located in this area is mentioned twice, in 1255 and in 1287. In Polish sources the town is first mentioned in 1410. During the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week af ...

it was the battlefield of the

Battle of Szack Battle of Szack (Shatsk) was one of the battles between the Polish Army and the Red Army fought in 1939 in the beginning of the Second World War. Eve of the battle During the invasion of Poland the Polish Border Defence Corps (''KOP'') was sev ...

between Polish forces of general

Wilhelm Orlik-Rueckemann Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Mount ...

and the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

4th Army. The Jewish population of the village at the beginning of the German occupation was probably around 300. Germans arrived in the village on June 30, 1941. In October 1941, the Jews of the city and surrounding villages were held captives in a

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished ...

. Shortly after, 319 Jews were shot by the

Einsatzkommando During World War II, the Nazi German ' were a sub-group of the ' (mobile killing squads) – up to 3,000 men total – usually composed of 500–1,000 functionaries of the SS and Gestapo, whose mission was to exterminate Jews, Polish intellec ...

and German police. Until 2020 was a

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, L ...

of Shatsk Raion.

References

Urban-type settlements in Kovel Raion Vladimir-Volynsky Uyezd Wołyń Voivodeship (1921–1939) Holocaust locations in Ukraine {{Volyn-geo-stub