Korop

Korop is a historic town located in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine and is the center of the Korop district. Korop is located on the Desna River. The town’s estimated population is 5,600 (as of 2005).

Korop became a part of Russia Empire in 1667, since 1796 it was a shtetl of Krolevets Yezd of Malorossia Gubernia and further Chernigov Gubernia.

In 1862, there were 218 Jews living in Korop with the community growing to over a thousand by 1920 although this figure dropped slightly in the subsequent decade with a Jewish population of 787 in 1926, accounting for some 12% of all Korop residents.

In the late 18th century, Korop was the centre of the tanning industry in the region, an industry which largely employed Jewish workers. Of the 119 trade enterprises in Korop, over half were owned by Jews.

In 1862, there was a wooden synagogue in the town and by 1886, also one made of stone. From 1894, the rabbi in Korop was Jacob-Joel Sorkin (1850 -?).

The business directory of 1903 lists few names of Jewish entrepreneurs from Korop:
Grocery stores: Korabelnikov Aaron Zalmanovich and Mitelman Motiy Shlemovich
Haberdashery: Zaitsev Mordehai Berkovich and Khotimskiy Nohim Nisonovich
Fish and kerosine: Ratner Sim. Evseevich
Leather: Rogovaya Chernya Leibovna
Household goods: Volovich Leya Pinhusovna, Polunovkiy Uda Mordkovich and Urevetskiy Vulf Abramovich

Building of the synagogue in Korop

In 1910, there were two synagogues and Jewish cemetery. In 1912, a Jewish loan and saving society operated in Korop.

On the 10th and 18th of November 1917, pogroms took place in the town.

In 1918, the retreating Austro-German troops led a pogrom in Korop, during which Jewish homes and shops were looted. Pogroms again occurred during Civil War in October-November 1919 led by Denikin’s gang.

According to the 1939 census 350 Jews lived in Korop. Small communities also existed in the villages, Ponornitsa and Vyshenka.

Holocaust

Korop was captured by Nazi troops on August 28, 1941.
A detachment of local police, led by its commandant Cmdr. Shilo, led a number of killings in the villages of the district. The first victims were the Jews of Vyshenka whom were taken to the village of Rybotin to be shot on September 5th 1941.

Memorial: Obelisk in a forest near Budenovsk village where were 2 Jewish teachers were killed (together with their children).

The first mass killing was held in late November 1941 in Ponornitse by division of Korop police. All the Jews were herded into the basement of the village’s communication. The police then proceeded to hurl grenades into the basement. A total 26 people were killed. On the second day the bodies were loaded on wagons, taken in the tract Solotopka to be buried there. At this same place local Communist party members were also killed, making the total amount of victims shot at Solotopka stand at around 127 people.
On February 9th, 1942, the local Ukrainian police shot all the remaining Jews of Korop, a total of 174 people, in the local woods. At the very same time on February 8th several people were killed in the villages of Obolonie and Gorodishe. On February 13th, Jews were also killed in the villages and Budenovka and Karilskoe.

Grave of 26 Ponortitsa Jews killed in 1941

On April 11th, 1942, the last Jew of the Korop (a dentist) was killed.
Jews of Vyshenka village have lived up to November 3, 1942 when they were shot in Zhernovskiy forest.

The location of the mass execution sites in Obolonie and Zhernovka villages has been lost to history.

Korop was liberated by Red Army in May 9, 1943.

We know names of only 230 civilian Jews killed in Korop (179 people) and Korop district (27 Jews from Ponornitsa and 24 people from another villages) and 24 names of soldiers whom were killed in the Second World War. You can find both lists here (in Russian).
Other names are still unknown…

After the war many Jews returned from Red Army and evacuation.

Famous Jews from Korop

Grigory Markovich Korabelnykov (1904 – ?), russian literary critic.

Geneology

Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery was founded in the first half of the 19th century and almost totally demolished during WWII. The only remaining pre-war gravestone is that of 1911, with the following inscription:
“Here buried is our dear son and brother, Yakov Moiseevich Ilyin, who died on April 7, 1911 at the age of 20. May your soul rest in peace”.

The cemetery is located in the north-east of the settlement in Zavods’ka Street, near an agricultural factory. There are only 35 gravestones.

Information was taken from Lo-Tishkah website.

Holocaust mass grave

At this site local police killed 174 Jews in February 9, 1942.

The mass grave is located in the north-eastern part of the settlement, along the Korop – Krolivets’ road, 300m from the road, in the woods. 200m from the road sign “Korop”.

Prior to 1989, there was a tombstone made of brick. In 1990, a concrete monument in the form of the stele was erected.
There is a rectangular granite stele with an inscription: «To the civilians, shot by the fascists in 1942. From the employees of Korop cheese factory” which was installed here in 2006.

Information was taken from Lo-Tishkah website.