Luginy

The first Jews apparently settled in Luginy in the early 17th century. In 1897, the village was home to 1,599 Jews, who made up sixty-three percent of the total population. In 1914, numerous local shops and small businesses were Jewish-owned. Eleven Jews from Luginy were murdered in pogroms in subsequent years. In 1925, some 200 local Jewish families were registered as willing to work in agriculture. In 1926, Luginy had 2,291 Jewish residents, or sixty percent of the total population. In 1935, there was a Yiddish school in the village, attended by 243 pupils. In 1939, there were 1,622 Jews in Luginy, comprising thirty-four percent of the total population. Luginy was occupied by German troops on August 9, 1941. According to Soviet reports, 735 Jews were murdered in Luginy during the occupation period. However, the more detailed descriptions of three small-scale murder operations that took place near Luginy speak of only several dozen Jewish victims (at most) killed in each one. Luginy was liberated by the Red Army on January 1, 1944.