Belopolye

The presence of Jews in Belopolye is first documented in the early 19th century. Although the town lay outside the Pale of Settlement, a few Jewish tradesmen were able to settle and work there. In 1887, Belopolye was home to 105 Jews, who made up less than one percent of the total population. By 1926, following the Russian Civil War, the number of local Jews had grown to 190 (one percent of the total population). In 1939, the town was home to some 125 Jews, who made up about 0.7 percent of the population. German troops occupied Belopolye on October 7, 1941. The Jews who failed to flee or be evacuated into the Soviet interior were registered, along with the POWs, Communists, and Soviet activists. All the registered people were forced to perform hard labor. In the early summer of 1942, twenty-four local Jews were taken to the town of Konotop and shot there. The Red Army liberated Belopolye on September 3, 1943.