Category Archives: Bessarabia

Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery: Little is known, all is visible

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul-Rashkov) in Bessarabia is one of the most impressive Jewish cemeteries I have ever seen. There are a few hundred, if not a few thousand gravestones, located on a hill sloping to the banks of river Dniester. This is borderland – in many aspects.

Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016
Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016
Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016
Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016
Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016
Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016
Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016
River Dnieter at Vadul-Raşcov
Christian tomb next to river Dnieter at Vadul-Raşcov
Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in August 2016

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In Chişinău

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Chişinău’s Jewish cemetery is the most important witness of the city’s Jewish past. Unfortunately it is in a miserable state – densely overgrown and with rubbish everywhere. Sylvia and I went there today.

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – Irina Shikhova guiding
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Sylvia and I – double selfie
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
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To Vadul Raşcov and Orhei

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Another intense day. Sylvia and I have been to Vadul Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) and Orhei in Bessarabia with its amazing Jewish cemeteries. Nothing compares to the Jewish cemetery of Vadul Raşcov at the banks of river Dniester. Here you get in touch with eternity.

Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – banks of river Dniester next to the Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Christian cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Christian cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Christian cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery

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Return to Transnistria

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

Our journey to Ukraine and Moldova goes on. The wish of my friend Sylvia to visit Bessarabia gave me a good pretext to return to Chişinău (Kishinev). While our friends Marla and Jay returned to Lviv yesterday, Sylvia and I took the bus to the Moldovan capital. Today we were out for a long day trip to Transnistria, a break-away ‘state’, only aknowledged by Russia. We visited Dubăsari (Dubasari), Raşcov (Rashkov) and Rîbniţa (Rybnitsa).

Dubăsari (Dubasari) mass grave
Dubăsari (Dubasari) mass grave
Dubăsari (Dubasari) mass grave
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) – ruin of a Christian church
Lenin is still alive in Transnistria
Raşcov (Rashkov) – view towards river Dniester
Raşcov (Rashkov) synagogue
Raşcov (Rashkov) synagogue
Rybnitsa Jewish cemetery
Our marshrutka from Chernivtsi (Czernoeitz) to Chişinău (Chisinau)
Chişinău (Chisinau) – view from Cosmos hotel
Chişinău (Chisinau) – view from Cosmos hotel
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Bessarabia in Black and White (Vol. 4)

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

The work of the past few weeks has come to a temporary end. Here are the last of the analog black and white photos of the trip to Bessarabia/Moldova in March and April. Among them are images of Jewish cemeteries in Briceni, Lipcani and Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov). While it is the quality of stone carvings that is impressing in Lipcani, it is the unique combination of the cemetery and the environment at river Dniester in Vadul-Raşcov.
Now I have to decide which images I want to rework and print for future exhibitions. Not an easy decision. What are your favorites?

Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Lipcani Jewish cemetery
Lipcani Jewish cemetery
Lipcani Jewish cemetery
Briceni Jewish cemetery

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Bessarabia in Black and White (Vol. 3)

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Here is the next selection of analog black and white photos from the trip to Bessarabia/Moldova in spring 2016. I’m glad to have time to work on the images, without interruptions by further journeys. This set contains pictures of Jewish heritage sites in Alexandreni, Bălţi (Beltsy), Lipcani, Orhei, Otaci (Ataki), Rybnitsa and Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov). As many Moldovan towns and cities have been fully destroyed in World War II, the cemeteries are often the last voices of the Jewish history.

Lipcani Jewish cemetery
Lipcani Jewish cemetery
Alexandreni Jewish cemetery
Bălţi (Beltsy) Jewish cemetery
Bălţi (Beltsy) Jewish cemetery
Orhei Jewish cemetery
Orhei Jewish cemetery
Orhei Jewish cemetery
Otaci (Ataki) Jewish cemetery
Otaci (Ataki) Jewish cemetery
Rybnitsa Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) Jewish cemetery

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Bessarabia in Black and White (Vol. 2)

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

I continued to work on the analog black and white images of the trip to Bessarabia/Moldova in March/April. Here is the result, including photos of Jewish heritage sites in Orhei, Otaci (Ataki), Prodănești (Prodaneshty), Raşcov (Rashkov), Rezina, Soroca and Zguriţa (Zguritsa). More is coming.

Rezina Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) synagogue
Raşcov (Rashkov) synagogue
Orhei Jewish cemetery
Otaci (Ataki) Jewish cemetery
Otaci (Ataki) Jewish cemetery
Otaci (Ataki) Jewish cemetery
Prodănești (Prodaneshty) Jewish cemetery
Soroca Jewish cemetery
Zguriţa (Zguritsa) synagogue
Zguriţa (Zguritsa) synagogue
Zguriţa (Zguritsa) Jewish cemetery

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First black and whites from the recent trip to Bessarabia

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia

About two weeks ago I received the scans of the films I shot during the trip to Bessarabia/Moldova in March and April. Since then I spend most of my evenings with going through the images, select those of which I think they are worth to work on, and to correct them. A quite time consuming but also satisfying work. Here is now a very first selection of images from Chişinău, Făleşti, Tirgul Vertiujeni, Mărculeşti, Călăraşi in Moldova and Mohyliv-Podilskyi in Ukraine. More is going to come during the next weeks.

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – wall made of tombstones
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary
Făleşti Jewish cemetery
Călăraşi Jewish cemetery
Mărculeşti Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi Jewish cemetery
Tirgul Vertiujeni – former Jewish home
Tirgul Vertiujeni – former Jewish shop
Tirgul Vertiujeni – former Jewish shop
Tirgul Vertiujeni – remains of the Jewish cemetery

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Of traveling in Moldova, Jewish cemeteries, vanished worlds and photographs

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Usually Christian is the author if this blog. Recently he gave me the opportunity to write about my impressions of the journey we just had together in Moldova. I am thankful to have a place to publish my thoughts.

Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone
Portrait on a Jewish gravestone

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Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty reports on Jewish cemeteries in Moldova

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Media

The Moldovan edition of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty broadcasted a documentary about Jewish cemeteries in the country. Represented are the cemeteries in Chisinau, Orhei and Vadul-Rashcov. They are outstanding witnesses of Jewish heritage in Moldova. Hopefully this will contribute to raise awareness of public, politics and administrations towards these cemeteries and their worthiness of protection. I am grateful to have been interviewed by editor Eugenia Pogor and for the chance to express my view of the significance of these places for all of us.

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