Rotmistrovka

Jews apparently lived in Rotmistrovka from the late 18th century. Due to the economic development of the area in 19th century the Jewish population of Rotmistrovka grew significantly; in 1897 it reached 1,785, which was 37 percent of the total population. Most of Rotmistrovka's Jews were small-scale merchants or craftsmen.

The Jews of Rotmistrovka suffered greatly from the violence of the years of revolution and civil war in Russia. In one pogrom, carried out by the anti-Bolshevik troops of Nikifor Grigoryev in May 1919, 45 Jews were killed. In the course of the second half of 1919 the Jews of Rotmistrovka were assaulted on almost a daily basis by various armed gangs and by White Army troops of Denikin. A number of Jews were killed or maimed in other pogroms, Jewish women were raped, and almost all the Jewish houses were looted or destroyed. At this time almost all of Rotmistrovka's Jews fled to the nearby town of Smela. Only a small portion of them returned to Rotmistrovka when the situation stabilized. Of these returnees many left Rotmistrovka in the 1920s and 1930s for larger towns and cities in search of educational and vocational opportunities. In 1939 the town had only 70 Jews, who constituted 1.7 percent of the total population.

Apparently half of those Jews managed to leave Rotmistrovka before it was occupied by German troops on August 1, 1941. In early 1942 eight Jewish families who still lived in Rotmistrovka were taken to Smela and murdered near that town, apparently together with Jews from there and nearby counties.

The Red Army liberated Rotmistrovka on January 31, 1944.