Gorlovka

Gorlovka was founded as a village in the second half of the 19th Century. Apparently, some Jews settled there at the time, although Jews were officially forbidden to reside in the village until 1903. In 1880, a synagogue was built in Gorlovka, and it remained operational until 1923, when it was closed down by the Soviets. During the Soviet period, Gorlovka underwent rapid industrialization, which led to an influx of both Jewish and non-Jewish settlers. In 1939, the town was home to 2,339 Jews, who made up about 2 percent of the total population. Most of the local Jews were able to flee into the Soviet interior before the arrival of the Nazis. Gorlovka was occupied by German troops on October 29, 1941. The Jews that remained in the town were shot in several murder operations over the winter of 1941-1942. The shootings were carried out by Sonderkommando 4B. According to Soviet documents, some 150 Jews were shot in Gorlovka in winter 1942. German reports give a figure of 369 Jews shot in both Gorlovka and Makeyevka. Gorlovka was liberated by the Red Army on September 5, 1943.