Glukhov

The first Jews settled in Glukhov in the early 19th century. By 1910, the local Jewish community had grown to 5,177. The Jews played a major role in the town's economy; they worked in various trades, and there were Jewish bakers, butchers, and factory workers in Glukhov. During the Russian Civil War, Glukhov became the scene of fierce fighting between the Red Army and units of the Ukrainian Army. Several hundred Jews were killed in the ensuing pogroms, which were perpetrated by both sides. In 1939, the town was home to 1,501 Jews, who made up about seven percent of the total population. German troops occupied Glukhov on September 7, 1941. In the wake of the Wehrmacht, the German Feldgendarmerie and SS entered the Glukhov County. They ordered the Jews to wear armbands with the Star of David on both arms. Jews were tortured, beaten, and killed on several occasions, and their bodies were buried in the Borok Forest, south of the town. On December 30, 1941, the German Feldgendarmerie and the local police arrested 105 Jewish civilians and shot them dead in the Borok Forest. Almost a year later, in November 1942, 700 persons from all over the Glukhov County – including Soviet POWs, Communist Party members, and some surviving Jews – were shot in the same forest. The Red Army liberated Glukhov on August 31, 1943.