Surazh

The first Jewish settlement in Surazh dates back to the late 18 th century. In 1863 there were 848 Jews living in Suarzh, which comprised 37.5 percent of the town's total population. Later on the Jewish population grew in number and in 1897 the 1,246 Jews of the town made 45.6 percent of its total population. In 1905 following the issue of the October Manifesto a pogrom was carried out in the town. In 1910 century a Jewish vocation school worked in the town. In 1917 there were six synagogues in the town that were closed during the 1920-1930s. During the Soviet era the Jewish population decreased due to the decline of petite trade and artisanship as well as due to the tendency of Jews to leave their hometown for bigger cities in search of better employment opportunities. In 1939 only 461 Jews lived in the town which comprised around 24 percent of the total population. Surazh was occupied on July 12, 1941. Apparently, a large number of Jewish refugees from Vitebsk and other placed fled to the town since the war began. More than 600 Jews, both local and non local ones, were murdered in the early August 3 kilometers away from Surazh. Some sources say another group of several hundred Jews was shot in the vicinity of the town in the late 1941 – early 1942. Surazh was liberated by the Red Army on October 28, 1943.