Slavnoye

The pre-war Jewish population of Slavnoye was about 200. The Jews mostly lived on three streets, including Tolochinskaya. The Jews were cobblers, tailors, carpenters, barrel-makers and carters. A Jewish agricultural cooperative operated in the town and, until 1933 a synagogue. Slavnoye was occupied by the Germans on July 6, 1941. Soon afterwards about 100 Jews escaped to the forest near Krucha village. When they were uncertain about what to do next, one of them persuaded the rest to return to the town, saying that the Germans would not harm them. They returned to Slavnoye. On July 9, 1941, about 150 Jews were concentrated in several houses on one street (today Parkovaya Street) of the town in a densely populated ghetto that was placed under local police supervision. The Germans instituted forced labor and required the Jews to wear a yellow star on their backs. A well located inside the ghetto, that was used by the Jewish inmates for bathing led to an outbreak of typhus. The Jews were forbidden to leave their homes after a certain time in the evening. Adults, both men and women, were sent to work. On March 16 (15), 1942 the inmates of the ghetto were shot to death near Gliniki village. The Red Army liberated Slavnoye in June 1944.