All the Way back

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

March 5, was nearly the last day of our one week trip through Ukraine and Moldova. Coming from Sharhorod, we bridged 400 kilometers at that day until we reached Ternopil in the evening – with Jewish heritage sites in Sharhorod, Luchynets and Khotyn on our way.

Sharhorod – Old Jewish Cemetery

Sharhorod – New Jewish Cemetery

Luchynets Jewish cemetery

Khotyn synagogue

Khotyn – former Great Synagogue

Khotyn – New Jewish Cemetery

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A Day of Miracles

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

We returned from Moldova to Ukraine on March 4. It was truly a day of miracles. We saw the stunning Jewish cemeteries of Edineț, Otaci, Chernivtsi (Podolia, not Bukovina) and Mohyliv-Podilsky. We found the synagogue in Chernivtsi, left behind by Jews leaving the former Soviet Union after 1991. In Sharhorod we talked to Hryhoriy Saulko, who wants to restaurate the magnificent synagogue of his hometown and already started to do.

Edineț Jewish cemetery

Otaci Jewish cemetery

Mohyliv-Podilsky Jewish cemetery

Chernivtsi (Podolia) Jewish cemetery

Chernivtsi (Podolia), former Jewish neighbourhood

Chernivtsi (Podolia), synagogue in the former Jewish neighbourhood

Sharhorod Great Synagogue

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In the north of Moldova

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

After our Transnistria trip the day before, our group moved further north. We stayed over night in Bălţi and visited the local Jewish cemetery in the morning of 3 March. It is the biggest in the north of Moldova. After a detour to Alexandreni – east of Bălţi – we headed further to Lipcani and Briceni to visit the Jewish cemeteries there.

Bălţi Jewish cemetery

Alexandreni Jewish cemetery

Briceni Jewish cemetery

Lipcani Jewish cemetery

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From Chişinău to Bălţi via Transnistria

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

On 2 March our little group continued the road trip through the Republic of Moldova. We headed east, crossed the Russian checkpoint near Dubăsari, and entered the internationally not recognized break away “republic” of Transnistria – rarely visited by western travelers. On our itinerary were Dubăsari and Raşcov before we crossed the “border” again to see the Jewish cemetery of Vadul Raşcov.

Dubăsari mass killing site – Soviet memorial

Dubăsari mass killing site – new memorial

Dubăsari Jewish cemetery

Dubăsari – former synagogue

Raşcov Hasidic court – former beit midrash

Raşcov Hasidic court – ruin of the synagogue

Raşcov Hasidic court – former Kloyz

Raşcov – new Jewish cemetery

Lenin is still up in Raşcov

Raşcov – old Jewish cemetery

Vadul Raşcov Jewish cemetery

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News from Chişinău Jewish cemetery

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Since Thursday, 28 February, my friends Marla, Jay, Iryna, Anna, Vasyl and I are on the road again. Our 7 days trip through Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova has begun. We spent a day in Chişinău and from there are encouraging news – the last remaining Jewish cemetery of the city is undergoing restauration works.

Chişinău Jewish cemetery

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Otaci’s Jewish Cemetery

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

We left Moldova’s capital Chişinău in the morning of May 23, 2018, and headed north towards the border to Ukraine. Before border crossing we had a stop in the town of Otaci which was known as a transit point for deportees to the Romanian camps and ghettos in Transnistria during World War II. What is often failed to see, is that Otaci looks back on a long Jewish history. The cemetery in the nearby village of Vălcineţ is a reminder.

Otaci Jewish cemetery

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Two Days in Bessarabia

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

It turned out to be difficult to report from the road when traveling with a big group and having a dense itinerary. Now, already back home, I have time to take up the narration. Last time I wrote from Chişinău on May 21 but did not report what we experienced there. On May 22 we were out for a day trip to Vadul Raşcov Jewish cemetery and the cave monasteries of Tipova – both magic places.

Chişinău – market, view from my hotel window

Chişinău – being guided by Irina Shikhova

Chişinău – former synagogue of the Jewish hospital

Chişinău – former laundry of the Jewish hospital

Chişinău – former Jewish hospital

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – bullet holes in the gate of the ruined mortuary

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – ruined mortuary

Chişinău – being guided by Irina Shikhova

Chişinău Jewish cemetery

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – wall made of tombstone fragments

Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery

Tipova – view over Dniester river

Tipova – cave monasteries

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On the Road to Chişinău

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Yesterday, our group moved on through Bessarabia. In Bălţi we visited the magnificent Jewish cemetery and then went further south to the Moldovan capital of Chişinău. En route were the Jewish agricultural colony of Mărculeşti and Orhei with its imposing cemetery.

Bălţi Jewish cemetery

Mărculeşti Jewish cemetery

Soviet monument near the town of Floreşti

Orhei Jewish cemetery

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From Bukovina to Bessarabia

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina

Yesterday, we followed the traces of the Hasidic courts in Bukovina and neighbouring Galicia. We have been to the towns of Sadgora, Kuty and Vyzhnytsia – and the day before we saw how the renovation of the magnificent mortuary of Chernivtsi cemetery makes progress. Today, we went on to Bessarabia in the Republic of Moldova. Lipcani and Briceni were on our way to Bălţi, where we are right now. Now, in spring the Jewish cemeteries are beautiful enchanted gardens. Here are some photo impressions.

Mortuary at Chernivtsi Jewish cemetery

Monument for psychoanalyst and writer Manes Sperber in Zabolotiv

Kuty Jewish cemetery

Vyzhnytsia Jewish cemetery

Lipcani Jewish cemetery

Briceni Jewish cemetery

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Some Summer Black and Whites

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

After working a lot on my colour photos I finally found time to return to the analogue black and whites. Here is a selection of images I took in August during the trip to Ukraine and Moldova. Represented are Jewish cemeteries in Chişinău (Kishinev), Orhei and Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) in Bessarabia/Moldova, cemeteries in Rîbniţa (Rybnitsa) and Raşcov (Rashkov) in the break away “state” of Transnistria, as well as the former synagogue of Sniatyn in Galicia, Ukraine.