Vasilishki
Васілішкі (Belarusian)
Vasilishki is located in Belarus
Vasilishki
Vasilishki
Coordinates: 53°47′N 24°51′E / 53.783°N 24.850°E / 53.783; 24.850
CountryBelarus
RegionGrodno Region
DistrictShchuchyn District
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK)
Postal code
231522
Area code+375 1514
License plate4

Vasilishki (Belarusian: Васілішкі, romanized: Vasiliški; Russian: Василишки; Polish: Wasiliszki; Yiddish: װאַסילישאָק, romanized: Vasilishok; Lithuanian: Vosyliškės) is an agrotown in Shchuchyn District, Grodno Region, Belarus.[1] It serves as the administrative center of Vasilishki selsoviet.[2]

History

Modernized Vasilishki

Within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vasilishki was part of Vilnius Voivodeship. In 1795, the town was acquired by the Russian Empire as a result of the Third Partition of Poland.

In late 18th century it was part of Lida powiat of Wilno Governorate, Russian Empire.[3] From 1919 until 1929, Vasilishki (Wasiliszki) was part of Lida powiat and from 1929 until 1939 of Szczuczyn powiat of the Nowogródek Voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic. Before World War II, more than 80% of the 2,500 inhabitants of the town were Jews.

In September 1939, Vasilishki was occupied by the Red Army and, on 14 November 1939, incorporated into the Byelorussian SSR.

Holocaust

Vasilishki was occupied by Nazi Germany from June 1941 until 12 July 1944 and administered as a part of Generalbezirk Weißruthenien of Reichskommissariat Ostland. In December 1941, a ghetto was established (Vasilishki Ghetto) where Jews from the neighboring villages of Zaboloc and Sobakińce (Sabakintsy) were also kept imprisoned. Jews were forced to perform hard labor. On May 10, 1942, the Germans, assisted by the Lithuanian police, made a selection of the Jews in the central square. Between 1,800 and 2,200 Jews were shot in the Jewish cemetery over the course of 2 days, where pits had been dug in advance. The rest of the Jews, around 200 people, were transferred to different ghettos, among them the Lida ghetto. Some Jews survived by escaping to the forest.[4]

See also

References

  1. "Сельсоветы". Щучинский районный исполнительный комитет (in Russian). 4 November 2016.
  2. Gaponenko, Irina Olegovna (2004). Назвы населеных пунктаў Рэспублікі Беларусь: Гродзенская вобласць. Minsk: Тэхналогія. p. 362. ISBN 985-458-098-9.
  3. Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland, p. 128
  4. "Yahad - in Unum".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.