Khislavichi (Russian: Хиславичи, Yiddish: חאסלאוויץ Khoslovitz) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Khislavichsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located by the right bank of the Sozh River. Population: 4,138 (2010 Census);[3] 4,617 (2002 Census);[9] 5,013 (1989 Census).[10]

History

Khislavichi is first mentioned in 1526. It belonged to Poland, and since the 18th century miasteczko (shtetl) Khislavichi (Polish: Chosławicze) was in Mstsislaw Voivodeship, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1772, as a result of the First Partition of Poland, it was transferred to the Russian Empire and included in its Mogilev Governorate. It belonged to Mstislavsky Uyezd.

On the course of its history, Chislavichi (Khislavichi) changed its name as well as rulers. Named, according to one unproved version found in the internet, after the Slavic family of Choslav (Khoslav) who settled there in the Middle Ages, the town under Polish rule was called Choslawicze, and the Jews who began to arrive there called it Choslawicz (Choslavitch, Khoslavitz), writing in Hebrew - חאסלאוויטש and in Russian - Хославич.
Situated on the right bank of the river Sohz, the town ("mestechko") belonged to Wojewodztwo Mscislawskie (Mstislavl Voivodeship). The Jews just resided there in the period of Russian-Swedish war (1700-1721), and in the year of 1765 in addition to gentiles it had a Jewish population of 237. From after the first partition of Poland in 1772 and the establishment of Russian Empire's authority over surrounding territories until 1919 it belonged to Mstislavl Uyezd (district) of Mogilev Gubernia (province) and was its biggest shtetl, except Mstislavl itself. In 1847, according to an "audit" of that year, its Jewish community numbered 2205, and 50 years later, according to the 1897 census, the Jews numbered 3901 (out of a total population of 5066). Approximately in the same period, there were 2 churches, 1 official synagogue (in reality, at least 11), 1 Jewish primary school and 1 yeshiva. In the pre-school period the children made their first steps to Jewish knowledge in numerous heders. The shtetl's owner, the earl Saltykov, was good to the Jews and even tried to protect them, when in the 1840-s they were persecuted as part of the so-called "Mstislavl uproar". He provided assistance to their representatives pleading in St. Petersburg for the Mstislavl Jewish population. The Jewish residents of Chislavichi were mainly day-labourers, artisans and petty merchants. In 1891 there were 3 tanneries, 2 groats producing factories and 3 creameries.

By the end of the 19th century, of the total population of 4,361, 3,642 were Jews and 739 were of Russian Orthodox faith. There were eight synagogues and two wooden churches. The settlement belonged to Saltykov Russian noble family.

In 1919, Mogilev Governorate was abolished, and Mstislavsky Uyezd was transferred to Smolensk Governorate. On 3 March 1924, a half of Mstislavsky Uyezd was transferred to Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, and seven volosts, including Khislavichi, were left in Smolensk Governorate.[12]

On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Khislavichsky District with the administrative center in the settlement of Khislavichi was established. The district belonged to Roslavl Okrug of Western Oblast. On August 1, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. In 1935, Khislavichi was granted urban-type settlement status.[2] On 27 September 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between Oryol and Smolensk Oblasts. Khislavichsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast.[13]

The German Army entered Khislavichi on July 16, 1941. 800 Jews of the town were resettled in a ghetto. In September or October 1941, 120 to 150 Jews were murdered in a mass execution.[14] On March 20, 1942, the Russian Hilfspolizei entered the ghetto. Under the command of the Einsatzgruppen, they killed all the Jews of the ghetto about 150 meters northwest of the town in a ditch near the local machine and tractor station.[15][16]

In 1963, during the Khrushchyov administrative reform, Khislavichsky District was merged into Monastyrshchinsky District. In 1965, it was re-established.

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The Jews took active part in shtetl's management: the head of its Petty Bourgeois Administration in the second half of the 19th century till 1901 was Chaim Risin, after him - his son Abram.

There were at least 14 prominent rabbis in Chislavichi in various periods, many of them were famous far beyond the shtetl they served:

-R. Chaim Iankielowicz, the first known rabbi of Chislavichi who lived there in 18th century.

-R. Israel ben Menachem Man Bachrach (died in 1827), rabbi and A.B.D. in Chislavichi till his death.

R. Israel was a descendant of MaHaRaL from Prague and R. Shimon Yair Chaim Bachrach (1628-1701) of Worms, the author of "Chavat Yair". R. Israel married into Slavin family, descendants of R. Shabtai Slavin, the owner of the printing house in Kopust. The Slavin family occupied important position in ChaBaD Chassidic movement. After the death of R. Israel, his son R. Eisik took the rabbinate Chislavichi, and his daughter's son R. Leib Slavin was MoZ.

-R. Eisik ben Israel Bachrach, rabbi in Chislavichi from 1827 till his death in 1848.

-R. Moshe Nechemia Kahanov (1817-1887), the author of "Netivot Shalom", "Shnat Ha-Sheva", "Eretz Chefetz" and other works. He was a rabbi in Chislavichi from 1848 until 1864.

-R. Yom-Tov Lipman (Lippele) Ha-Cohen Baslavsky (1821-1892), the author of "Malbushei Yom Tov. He was ABD and rabbi in Chislavichi from 1865 till 1874.

-R. Benzion Sternfeld (d.1917), the author of "Sha'arei Zion". He was rabbi in Chislavichi in 1874-1877. He was also rabbi in Kalvarija and, eventually, in Bielsk in 1900-s.

-R. Eliyahu Ha-Levi Feinstein (1842-1928), the author of "Halakhot Eliyahu". He was ABD and rabbi in Chislavichi from 1877 till 1884.

-R. Hillel Mileikovsky, Ha-Gaon from Salant (1821-1899). He was a rabbi in Chislavichi from 1884 till 1889.

-R. Avraham Yitzhak Maskileison (Maskil L'Eitan, 1839-1904), rabbi in Chislavichi from 1889 till 1903.

-R. Menachem ben Zvi Hirsh Krakowsky (Krakowiako-Krakowsky,1869-1929), the author of "Avodat Ha-Melech", "Arzei Ha-Levanon", "Ya'ar Ha-Levanon". He was ABD and rabbi in Chislavichi from 1903 till 1913.

-R. Moshe Soloveitchik (1879-1941), the father of the famous R. Yosef Dov Soloveichik. Rabbi in Chislavichi from 1913 till 1920.

-R. Israel Shaul Yafin, rabbi in Chislavichi in 1920s, afterwards - rabbi in Smolevichi, from there moved to Latvia. Murdered by the haters of the Jews in 1941.

-R. Zvi Hirsh Lifshitz (1863-1927, Chislavichi), the author of "Chamudei Zvi" (1896). He was rabbi in Chislavichi in 1920-s.

-R. Meir Stalevich (1870, Eishyshok-1949, Jerusalem), the author of "Mibeit Meir". Rabbi in Chislavichi in 1927-1932.

R. Yehuda ben Binyamin Bacharach, teacher and shochet, a grandson of R. Israel Bakharakh, R. Sa'adya, the famous "blind of Chislavichi", R. Chaim Shorin, dayan and the author of "Divrei Chaim", R. Zelig Minkes, R. Shimon Moshe Diskin (1872, Shumyachi -1930, Lokhvitsa), the author of "Midrash Shim'oni" (1939) and activist of Zionist movement, and his son, R. Refael Yehoshua Zelig Diskin (1896, Chislavichi - 1970, Bnei Brak), they too were prominent residents of Chislavichi, though they served rabbis in other locations. R. Refael Yehoshu'a Zelig wrote the preface "Toldot Ha-Mechaber" to his father's work "Midrash Shim'oni" containing the history of his life, from which one can learn many interesting things about Chislavichi in that period. He also published the article Kehilat Choslavitch Verabbaneha (Chislavichi and her Rabbis) which is the great source of knowledge on this issue.

As well as for its rabbis and scholars, Chislavichi was known for its yeshiva founded by R. Moshe Nechamya Kahanov (who was afterwards RaM in the yeshiva "Etz Ha-Chaim" in Jerusalem). Very soon it became a place of Jewish thought and learning, famous throughout the Russian empire. One of its most famous teachers was its RaM, R. Israel Pesin (d. in 1901), called "the Angel" for his devotion to Torah and mitzvoth. It was said that R. Hillel, Ha-Gaon from Salant used to say: "I have never been in awe of anyone, only of R. Israel the Angel am I because the awe of the Almighty shrouds him all day long". Another expert on Torah was R. Yitzhak Mirenburg. He was a devoted instructor of the yeshiva students who made sizeable progress in their studies under his guidance.

Well-known in the first half of the 20th century was chazzan (the cantor) Rachmiel Stiller, later murdered by the Nazis' collaborators (in 1941).

Khislavitchi (en russe : Хиславичи) est une commune urbaine de l'oblast de Smolensk, en Russie. Sa population s'élevait à 3 779 habitants en 2017
Géographie

Khislavitchi se trouve à 34 km au nord-est de Mstsislaw (Biélorussie), à 68 km au sud de Smolensk et à 391 km à l'est-sud-est de Moscou1.
Histoire

Depuis le XVIIIe siècle, le village est un shtetl. Il faisait partie de la république des Deux Nations puis fut transféré à l'Empire russe après le partages de la Pologne

À la fin du XIXe siècle, la population totale s'élevait à 4 361 habitants, dont 3 642 juifs (83 %) et 739 chrétiens orthodoxes (17 %). La ville comptait huit synagogues et deux églises en bois. La ville était propriété de la famille de la noblesse russe des Saltykov.

Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Khislavitchi est occupée par l'Allemagne nazie du 16 juillet 1941 au 28 septembre 1943. Huit cents juifs sont enfermés dans un ghetto peu après le début de l'occupation. En septembre 1941, de 120 à 150 juifs sont assassinés dans une exécution de masse. Le 20 mars 1942, des policiers collaborant avec les Allemands pénètrent dans le ghetto et assassinent les juifs survivants à 150 m du village, dans le cadre de la Shoah par balles.

Хиславичи — посёлок городского типа, административный центр Хиславичского района Смоленской области России. Вместе с двумя посёлками образует Хиславичское городское поселение.

Население пгт — 3183 чел. (2021).

География

Расположен на правом берегу реки Сож, в 35 км к юго-западу от железнодорожной станции Починок (на линии Смоленск — Рославль)[3].
История

Впервые упоминается во второй половине XV века как имение князя Андрея Порховского.

В XIX — начале XX веков, при владельце А. Л. Салтыкове, в селе действовала Глебо-Борисовская, или Успенская ярмарка.

Имеет 617 домов. (1 марта), из них 171 принадлежит Христиан, и 446 евреям, 4361 мк. (739 православных и 3642 еврея), две деревянные православные церкви, 8 молитвенные дома Еврейский, мировой суд, окружной сове, правление коммуны, народная школа, амбулатория, 3 кожевенных завода, 4 маслобойни, 2 крахмальных завода, смоляная мельница, водяная мельница, ярмарка с 15.00.августа до 1 сентября.

Местечко принадлежит к графу. Солтыкович. В состав коммуны входят 44 городка площадью 1433 квадратных метра. (2 стены) и 5877 м2.
Крестьянам в количестве 1988 человек было предоставлено право на 8623 земли с выкупом по 9026 рублей каждая. в год.

В коммуне имеется 4999 участков более крупных лесов поместья и 134 крестьянина.

Последний церемониал Хослава по привилегии Августа III

датирован 13 февраль 1754 год – Ян Цехановецкий.

1905 В местечке насчитывается до 5100 жителей, в том числе евреев свыше 4700. Хославичи известны по скупке хлеба и льна. Здесь имеются две церкви, народное училище, еврейское училище, волостное правление, становая квартира и почтовое отделение.

С 1935 года — поселок городского типа. К концу XIX века из общей численности населения, составлявшей 4361 человек, 3642 человека были евреями и 739 исповедовали православие. Было восемь синагог и две деревянные церкви.

Во время немецкой оккупации в посёлке располагалось еврейское гетто

Немецкая армия вошла в Хиславичи 16 июля 1941 года. 800 евреев города были переселены в гетто. В сентябре или октябре 1941 года от 120 до 150 евреев были убиты в ходе массовой казни. 20 марта 1942 года полицаи убили всех евреев гетто примерно в 150 метрах к северо-западу от города в канаве возле местной машинно-тракторной станции

С 1928 года по 1963 год и с 1965 года по настоящее время — административный центр Хиславичского района.
В 1963—1965 годах в составе Монастырщинского района.

Известные люди

• Агранат, Аарон Йосеф (1891—1946) — деятель сионистского движения. Отец Ш. Аграната.===
• Басин, Ефим Владимирович (род. 1940) — транспортный строитель, Герой Социалистического Труда.
• Давид Абрамович Кудрявицкий (1919—1943) — участник Великой Отечественной войны, Герой Советского Союза.
• Юрий Алексеевич Михалёв (р. 1938) — биолог, доктор наук, профессор, специалист по китам Южного Полушария
• Семён Семёнович Зимницкий (1873—1927) — терапевт, профессор Казанского университета
• Карев, Александр Михайлович (1899—1975) — театральный актёр, режиссёр и педагог
• Черняк, Джозеф (1885—1972) — канадский юрист.

Chisławiczi (ros. Хиславичи, pol. Chosławicze) – osiedle typu miejskiego w Rosji, w obwodzie smoleńskim, siedziba rejonu chisławiczskiego.

Chisławiczi leżą na prawym brzegu Soży, 35 km na południowy zachód od stacji kolejowej Poczinok (na linii Smoleńsk – Rosław).

Historia

Podczas okupacji hitlerowskiej, we wrześniua 1941 roku Niemcy utworzyli getto dla żydowskich mieszkańców. Przebywało w nim około 1000 osób. 20 marca 1942 roku Niemcy zlikwidowali getto, a Żydów zamordowali w pobliskim wąwozie. Sprawcami zbrodni było Einsatzgruppe B oraz lokalna rosyjska policja pod dowództwem Bobkowa[1].

Przypisy

   Geoffrey P. Megargee (red.), Encyclopedia of camps and ghettos, 1933-1945, t. II, part B, s. 1799.

Linki zewnętrzne

   Chosławicze, [w:] Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego, t. XV, cz. 1: Abablewo – Januszowo, Warszawa 1900, s. 324.