General cleanup of the Jewish cemetery in the village of Sokyrnytsia (Khust District, Zakarpattia Region, Ukraine) is complete
The Jewish cemetery in the village of Sokyrnytsia is now in order. The charitable organization “Heritage Springs” carried out general cleaning of the cemetery this summer, as the preservation of cemeteries is one of the organization’s priorities.
The refurbishment included:
● Shrubs and weeds have been cut down and uprooted
● Tall bushes and overhanging tree branches above the concrete fence lines of the cemetery have been cut down
● Garbage was collected and disposed of
● Shrubs covering tombstones have been pruned
After the team completed the cleanup the stones exuded their rich history once again, the history of some of the first Jewish inhabitants of the village of Sokyrnytsia. Each tombstone is specifically connected with an individual’s life and provides an opportunity to create a rich picture of the Jewish community, its language, poetry and fine arts. For the descendants each tombstone reflects – their history, roots and family tree.
By tidying up the cemetery, we honor the hundreds of years of Jewish life in the village of Sokyrnytsia. Descendants can now visit the cleaned cemetery to honor the memory of their ancestors.
Reference: Sokyrnytsia settlement is a village in Khust District, Zakarpattia Region, Ukraine. The first mention of the village dates back to 1389. At the end of the XVIII century Jews who rebought salt settled here. In 1944 in the village of Sokyrnytsia, the nearest village of Iza and the town Khust 3 ghettos were located, numbering over 10 thousand Jews. Now the population of the village Sokyrnytsia is more than 5,000 people, but there are no Jews left. The only reminder of these people is the cemetery, which now serves as a cultural landmark for the village of Sokyrnytsia and its visitors.
Contact:
Yana Krichfalushii
Executive Director – Heritage Springs 501(c)(3)
Tel: +38 097-705-2277
Email: yana@hertitagespgs.org