Khmelyove (Khmelovoye) | Kirovohrad

/ The place in Khmelyove village where the Jewish ghetto was situated. The German gendarmerie was at the same building. © Kate Kornberg/Yahad-In Unum The place where the police station was located before and during the war.© Kate Kornberg-Yahad-In Unum The building of the former shop where the Jewish clothing was sold after the killing. © Kate Kornberg/Yahad-In Unum Borys B., born in 1930: "After the shooting of the Jews, they organized a sale in a store. In the pile of clothing, I recognized Eva’s white coat...She had been thrown in a well." © Kate Kornberg-Yahad-In Unum Klavdia K., born in 1933, heard the screaming of Jews at night.© Kate Kornberg-Yahad-In Unum The team in the process of interviewing Boris. © Kate Kornberg-Yahad-In Unum The place where about 100 Jews were thrown alive in the well. © Kate Kornberg-Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jews in Khmelyove

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
The well on the Machine Tractor Service’s territory
Memorials:
Yes
Period of occupation:
1941 - 1944
Number of victims:
About 100

Witness interview

Boris B., born in 1930, remembered: “The friend of my father was Jewish, and they worked together. One day he went from the ghetto to our house and asked my father to give him some food. His name was Yoshko and he had 3 or 4 children. He worked as a butcher. Later, Yoshko was hung by Germans before New Year’s Eve, and he stayed hanging there on the pole for 2 days. A plaque reads «Traitor » was hung on the coprs”. (Testimony n°2010, interviewed in Khmelyove, on April 3, 2016)

Historical note

Khmelyove is located about 68 km west from Kirovohrad. According to the witness, Ukrainians, Russians and Jews lived together in the village. Back then it was the district center. The Jews lived in the center, on the two central streets.  They lived off handcraft and small business. Many Jews settled in the villages around Khmelyove. The Germans occupied the village in early August 1941. 

Holocaust by bullets in figures

Until fall 1941, all Jews continued living in their houses. However, they were all marked with distinguishing yellow badges sewn on their backs.  Then, all the Jews were gathered and confined in one Jewish house by Germans with the help of local police. The house was fenced in with barbed wire. The Jews, including women and children were subjected to forced labor. They couldn’t buy food from the villagers and by consequence, were suffering from hunger.

Before the New Year, all Jews were brought on the territory of the Machine and Tractor service, located about 3 km from the house where they were confined.   Once there, they were forced to undress, and then they were thrown alive into the well.  The local police filled the well.  The Jewish clothing was sold in the shop in the center of the village. About 100 Jews were killed that day in Khmelyove.

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