Bayevo

Jewish settlement in Bayevo evidently dated from the beginning of the 19th century. In 1897 there were 505 Jews in the village; they comprised 56 percent of the total population. The Jews mostly made their living from small trade or were craftsmen. During the first years of Soviet rule the number of Jews in Bayevo declined due to their migration to larger towns. In 1923 the Jewish population numbered only 243 people or 33 percent of the total population. Some Jews were kolkhoz members who worked in agriculture. Bayevo was occupied by the Germans in July 1941. In October 200 Jews from Bayevo were murdered near the Mereya River. The village was liberated on September 30, 1943.