Obj. ID: 53764
Memorials Memorial wall in Dyven near Velyki Mezhyrichi, Ukraine, 2005
Memorial name
No official name
Who is Commemorated?
Jewish Soldiers and partisans of WWII and Righteous among the Nations from Velyki Mezhyrichi
Description:
The monument is located at the killing site in Dyven village, near Nevirkiv and Velyki Mezhyrichi.
The site is surrounded by a stone fence with an arched metal gate, decorated by a Magen David. A high metal Menorah stands near the gates. In the center of the fenced area, the earlier monument to the Shoah Victims (1992) is situated.
The monument is a white wall, embedded in the stone fence to the right from the gate. Three separate black stone plaques are attached to the wall on its left side. They bear Ukrainian, Hebrew, and English inscriptions with gratitude to the Righteous among the Nations. Several plaques on the right side of the wall bear Ukrainian, Hebrew, and English inscriptions, commemorating the Jewish partisans and soldiers of WWII from Velyki Mezhyrichi. The plaques also contain English and Hebrew lists of the soldiers and partisans, both Victims and Survivors. Between the plaques, there are two photographs in one frame; the right photograph shows the monument to Jews from Velyki Mezhyrichi in the Southern Tel Aviv (Holon, Bat Yam) Cemetery, Israel (1980s) and the left photograph shows the Memorial to the Six Million in Johannesburg (1959, 1995). The left photograph probably is an enlarged copy of a postcard published in Israel as it has a depiction of a postage stamp in the top right corner.
Inscriptions
Left top plaque (Ukrainian):
З шаною і повагою до праведників миру
які рискували своїм життям
заради врятування приречених
на смерть євреїв із Великих Межиріч
та навколишніх сіл під час Холокосту
в другій світовій війні.
Безмежно вдячні і віддані вам,
громадяни Великих Межиріч
і діаспори!
Липень 2005 року
Translation: With honor and respect to the Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to rescue doomed-to-die Jews from Velyki Mezhyrichi and surrounding villages during the Holocaust in the Second World War. Infinitely grateful and devoted to you, citizens of Velyki Mezhyrichi and diaspora! July 2005.
Left middle plaque (Hebrew):
הוקרה וכבוד
לחסידי אומות העולם
על אשר בשנות השואה במלחמת העולם השניה
שמו נפשם בכפם להצלת יהודים מרודפיהם
הוקרה כבוד וברכה
לחסידי אומות העולם
שהצילו יהודים ממז’יריטש והסביבה
הוקדש ע”י יוצאי מז’יריטש בישראל ובתפוצות
תמוז תשס”ה יולי 2005
Translation: Honor and respect to the Righteous Gentiles / who risked their lives to save persecuted Jews during the Holocaust in World War II. // Honor, respect and blessing to the Righteous Gentiles, who saved Jews from Mezhyrichi and surroundings // dedicated by natives of Mezhyrichi in Israel and Diaspora // Tammuz 5752 July 2005
Left bottom plaque (English):
With honor and respect
to the Righteous Gentiles
who risked their lives to save
Persecuted Jews during the Holocaust
in World War II. Among them were
Righteous Gentiles who saved Jews from
Greater Mezirich and the area.
Dedicated by Mezirichers in Israel
and in the Diaspora.
July 2005 Tammuz 5765
Right top plaques
Ukrainian:
Євреї – партизани і воїни
із Великих Межиріч та околиць,
які воювали проти нацистів
в другій світовій війні.
Translation: Jews – partisans and soldiers from Velyki Mezhyrichi and surroundings, who fought against the Nazis in the Second World War
English:
Jewish partisans and fighters
of Greater Mezirich
and the area
who fought the Nazis
during the second world war
Hebrew:
פרטיזנים ולוחמים יהודים
מז’יריטש גדול והסביבה
שנלחמו נגד הנאצים
במלחמת עולם השניה
Translation: Jewish partisans and soldiers of the Velyki Mezhyrichi and the vicinity who fought against the Nazis in the World War II
Right bottom plaques
English:
In appreciation and gratitude
To the Jewish Partisans and Fighters
Of Greater Mezirich and the area
who live with us in Israel and in the Diaspora
Sixty-three years after the Holocaust of the
Jewish Community of Greater Mezirich
and the area
Tamuz 5765
Hebrew:
הוקרה והערכה
לפרטיזנים וללוחמים היהודים
יוצאי מז’יריטש גדול והסביבה
החיים אתנו בישראל ובתפוצות
במלאת 63 שנים לשואה
תמוז תשס”ה יולי 2005
Translation: Honor and respect to partisan and Jewish fighters, natives of Velyki Mezhyrichi and surroundings living with us in Israel and Diaspora, on the 63 anniversary of the Holocaust, Tammuz 5765 July 2005
Inscriptions near the photographs
Above the left photograph, in English and transcribed Hebrew:
Revival beagon [=in pain]
Above the right photograph, in Hebrew:
משואה לתקומה
Translation: From the Holocaust to Revival
Below the right photograph showing the memorial to Jews from Velyki Mezhyrichi in Tel Aviv cemetery, there is an inscription in Hebrew as on the memorial in Tel Aviv:
מזירטש
ווהלין
לזכר קדושי
מזיריטש גדול והסביבה
שניספו בשואה
שבועות תש"ב סוכות תש"ג
והעלתם אתכם מקברותיכם עמי
והבאתי אתכם אל אדמת ישראל,
יחזקאל
Translation: Mezhyrichi / Volhynia/ In memory of the martyrs/ of Velyki Mezhyrichi and its surroundings/who perished in the Holocaust/Shavuot 5702 [=1942] - Sukkot 5703 [=1942] / And I will bring you up out of your graves, my people, and bring you to the land of Israel/ Ezekiel [37:12]
Plaque on the fence (Hebrew and English):
יהודי מז’יריטש גדול והסביבה שנרצחו בידי
מרצחים נאצים. כאן בגיא ההרגה נבירקוב
בשתי אקציות שבועות תש”ב, סוכות תש”ג 1942
ואנדרטה לזכרם של לוחמים יהודים
ומצילים חסידי אומות העולם ממזיריטש והסביבה
בתקופת השואה במלחמת העולם השניה.
Translation: This site is fenced in commemoration of the memory of the Holocaust victims, Jews of Velyki Mezhyrichi and surrounding villages, who were murdered by Nazi murders. Here in this killing site in Nevirkov in two Aktions - Shavuot 5702 [=1942[ and Sukkot 5703 [=1942] 1942/ and memorial in memory of Jewish fighters and Righteous Among the Nations from Velyki Mezhyrichi and the surrounding villages in the period of the Holocaust during World War II. Erected from the donations by Rivka Burka and Izhak Babechuk z''l / Erwin and Riva Baker z"l Michigan U.S.A/ and with the assistance and donations of natives of Velyki Mezhyrichi and their descendants from Israel, the US and Canada // unveiled Tammuz 5765 July 2005 // Initiated and designed by native of Mezhyrichi, Holocaust survivor Israel Zinman, son of Jehoshua and Bracha Z''L
Commissioned by
Jewish Natives of Velyki Mezhyrichi from Israel and other countries
13 image(s)
sub-set tree:
During two mass murders on May 22 and September 26, 1942, the Nazis exterminated about 3,000 Jews from Velyki Mezhyrichi and the vicinity in the Tsehelnia ravine near the village of Nevirkiv [Tsal Kaplun Foundation].
In October 1991, Kim Zakaliuk wrote a material about killing site in the newspaper "Dialoh." In particular, he mentioned the abandoned condition of the site and the lack of any memorial sign there, even 50 years after the Tragedy. After the publication, the Regional authority representatives started memorialization process. The article was also spread among the natives of Velyki Mezhyrichi in various countries. The Rivne cooperative "Hama" made the monument [Zakaliuk].
The installation of the monument to the Shoah Victims was funded by the Members of the Association of Velyki Mezhyrichi Natives in Israel and Canada and the Regional Organization of the Protection of the History and Culture Monuments [Zmina]. Apparently they also erected a metal fence, decorated with the stars of David and Menorot around the site [see photos in Zmina].
The unveiling ceremony in September 1992 started from the school, which was a place of gathering Jews for escorting to the killing site. Local residents welcomed Jewish Holocaust Survivors, who arrived from Israel, Canada, the USA, and various places of Ukraine. The local authority representatives, and Righteous among the Nations also took part in the ceremony. In total, a few thousand people joined the event. The participants moved to Nevirkiv to repeat symbolically the last way of the Victims. Six candles were burning near the foot of the monument, as a symbol of six millions Jewish Victims of the Holocaust. The participants lit more candles and mounted a capsule with a parchment containing the names of the Victims on the monument for the eternal preservation. Then, the soil from Israel was brought to the monument and the Israel and Ukrainian national anthems were sounded. Jewish Holocaust Survivors recited memorial prayers [Feishter, Kyrylchuk].
Apparently a stone fence around the killing site and a Menorah near the gate were erected in 2005 together with a monument to the Jewish soldiers and partisans, as well as to the Righteous among the Nations. The monument was unveiled in Summer of 2005, the Natives of Velyki Mezhyrichi from Israel, Canada and the USA, local residents and authority representatives took part in the ceremony. The participants listened to the national anthems of Israel and Ukraine and recited prayers [Safir].
"Execution of Jews from Velyki Mezhyrichi in Dyven,"
The Map of Holocaust by Bullets, Yahad-In Unum, https://www.yahadmap.org/en/#village/dyven-diven-rivne-ukraine.66.
Feishter, D., "Zvidty rozpochavsia shliakh do pekla," Vilne slovo, September 16, 1992, p. 4.
For the history of the community and Holocaust history, see
Livneh, Natan, Pinḳas ha-ḳehilah Mezʼiriṭsh (Tel Aviv: Hutsa le-or ʻa. y. Ṿaʻad yotsʼe Meziriṭsh be-Israel, 1973)., https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/ea658010-5e17-0133-8cef-00505686a51c (accessed August 6, 2024)
Kyrylchuk, P., "Traurna tseremoniia v Mezhyrichakh," Visti Rivnenshchyny, September 19, 1992, p. 3.
"Miedzyrzecz,"
Untold Stories - Murder Sites of Jews in Occupied Territories of the USSR (Yad Vashem project), https://collections.yadvashem.org/en/untold-stories/community/14622537.
Safir, Yurii, "Khto zhyvyi – pamiataie," Vilne slovo, August 2, 2005, p. 3.
"U sertsia svoia pamiat," Zmina, September 19, 1992, p. 2.
"Velyki Mezhyrichi: Tsegelnia Ravine,"
Shoah Atrocities Map - Ukraine (Tsal Kaplun Foundation), https://shoahatlas.org/u0908.html.
Zakaliuk, K. "Vklonimosia mohylam," Visti Rivnenshchyny, July 5, 1994, p. 2.