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© Oksana Chala, Photographer: Chala, Oksana, 1.2024

Memorial Name

No official name

Who is Commemorated?

Jewish Holocaust Victims from Rivne, murdered here on November 6, 1941

Description

The memorial complex is located on the killing site in Sosonky Tract.

A plaque with information about the memorial complex in Ukrainian and English languages is located on the way to the monument.

A Menorah-shaped memorial sign stands near the entrance. Five figures of women and a Magen David appear on the Menorah.

To the left of the entrance, there is a mass grave, which is divided into two parts by an asphalt walkway. On both sides of the walkway, there are 12 double headstones of different shapes with carved images of eternal flame and carnations. There is a lying slab with a Russian inscription in the center of the mass grave to the left of the walkway. In 2023, the Russian inscription was covered by a plaque with Ukrainian and Hebrew inscriptions.

An upright stele in a form of a half-cylinder is located to the right of the walkway. A tunnel with steps leads to it. In the center of the steps, images of bare foots are carved. The upright stele sits atop a round base, it bares a Magen David at its top and a plaque with Yiddish, Hebrew, and Ukrainian inscriptions at its foot. Around the stele, there are 69 stone plaques on bases, 68 of them have names of the Victims in Yiddish. 

In 2023, the Ukrainian inscription on the stele was changed due to the decommunization process. A "Russian-style" word "Rovno Jews" was replaced by Ukrainian "Rivne Jews," as well as Soviet-style "German fascists torturers" were replaced by "Nazi torturers." For an unknown reason, the words "were shot" were removed from the inscription. 

Inscriptions

On the upright stele:

Yiddish:

דא איז דער בּרודער קבר פון
17500 ראוונער אידן פרויען קינדער
און זקנים אומשולדיג פארפייניגטע
דערשאסענע לעפעדיקערהייט
בּאגראבּענע דורך די היטלעריסטיש
פאשיסטישע מערדער דעם 6-טן
נאוועמבּער 1941 - דער ליכטיגער
אנדענק פון די קדושים וועט אייבּיג
בלייבן אין אנדזערע הערצער.

Translation: Here is the mass grave of 17,500 Rovno Jews, women, children and elder people, innocently tormented, killed and buried alive by Hitler's fascist murderers on November 6, 1941. Blessed memory of the martyrs will always remain in our hearts. 

Hebrew:

פה קבר אחים של 17.500 יהודי רובנה-
זקנים, נשים, וילדים שהושמדו ניספו ונקברו
חיים בּידי הרוצחים הפאשיסטים של
היטלר ט”ז חשון תש”ב 6 נובמבר 1941
זכרם של הקדושים לעולם לא
ימוש מקרבנו

Translation: Here is a mass grave of 17,500 Rovno Jews, elder people, women, and children who were destroyed, perished, and buried alive by Hitler's fascist murderers on Heshvan 16, 5702, November 6, 1941. The memory of the martyrs will not fade away from us.

Ukrainian (initial):

Тут братня могила 17500
ровенських євреїв – стариків,
жінок і дітей безвинно заму-
чених, розстріляних, живцем
закопаних німецько-фашист
ськими катами 6 листопада
1941 року вічна шана їх світ-
лій памʼяті.

Translation: Here is the mass grave of 17,500 Rovno Jews - elder people, women and children innocently tormented, shot, buried alive by the German-fascist torturers on November 6, 1941. Eternal honor to their blessed memory.

Ukrainian (since 2023):

Тут братня могила
17500 рівненських євреїв -
стариків, жінок і дітей
безвинно замучених, живцем
закопаних нацистськими катами
6 листопада 1941 року.
Вічна шана їх світлій памʼяті.

Translation: Here is the mass grave of 17,500 Rivne Jews - elder people, women and children innocently tormented, buried alive by the Nazi torturers on November 6. 1941. Eternal honor to their blessed memory.

On the lying slab to the left of the walkway in the center of the mass grave:

Russian (before 2023):

Здесь лежат
17500 детей, женщин, стариков,
зверски замученых фашистами
6-7 ноября 1941 года.
Светлая память им.

Священная месть Советского Солдата
настигла палачей

Translation: Here rest 17,500 children, women, elder people, brutally tormented by the fascists on November 6–7, 1941. Blessed memory to them. Holy revenge of the Soviet Soldier has overtaken the executioners.

Ukrainian (since 2023):

Тут спочивають
17500 євреїв
закатованих нацистами
6-7 листопада 1941 року.
Вічна їм памʼять!

Translation: Here rest 17,500 Jews tormented by Nazis on November 6–7, 1941. Eternal memory to them!

Hebrew (since 2023):

כאן קבורים 17,500 יהודים
שעונו על ידי הנאצים ב-6-7
בנובמבר 1941. זכרם נצח

Translation: Here are buried 17,500 Jews, who were tortured by the Nazis on November 6–7, 1941. Eternal memory

Commissioned by

Local authority, former Jewish residents of Rivne from the USA and Israel

Name/Title
Holocaust Memorial in Sosonky Tract in Rivne (Rovno), Ukraine, 1990, 2023 | Unknown
Object Detail
Date
1990
Active dates
Reconstruction dates
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Unknown
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Unknown
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Unknown|
Period Detail
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Unknown |
Documentation / Research project
Unknown
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Historical significance: Collective Memory/Folklore
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Negative/Photo. No.
A612361