Talachyn or Tolochin (Belarusian: Талачын, romanizedTalačyn, IPA: [taɫaˈtʂɨn]; Russian: Толочин; Polish: Tołoczyn; Yiddish: טאָלאָטשין; Lithuanian: Talačynas) is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Talachyn District.[1] As of 2024, it has a population of 9,666.[1]

Talachyn
Church of the Protection of Our Lady
Church of the Protection of Our Lady
Flag of Talachyn
Coat of arms of Talachyn
Talachyn is located in Belarus
Talachyn
Talachyn
Location in Belarus
Coordinates: 54°25′N 29°42′E / 54.417°N 29.700°E / 54.417; 29.700
CountryBelarus
RegionVitebsk Region
DistrictTalachyn District
First mentioned1433
Elevation
199 m (653 ft)
Population
 (2024)[1]
 • Total
9,666
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK)
Postal code
211070
Area code+375 2136
License plate2

History

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The town was first mentioned in 1433. The village was a shtetl.[2]

In 1939, 1,292 Jews lived there, making up 21.2 percent of the total population of the town.[3]

World War II

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The town was under German military occupation from 6–7 July 1941 until 1944.[3]

The Germans established a ghetto in September or October 1941, which consisted of 15 houses and had 2,000 inmates.[3] The ghetto was liquidated on 12 or 13 March 1942 and its inmates were killed.[3] The Germans killed more than 2,000 Jews, according to estimates made by the Soviet Extraordinary State Commission.[4] However, this figure is disputed, due to the pre-war Jewish population being significantly lower, and some Jews having been drafted or able to flee.[3] The Einsatzkommando reported that it had killed 1,551 Jews in March, presumably in the entire district.[3]

A memorial has been erected to remember the fate of the victims.

Notable structures

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Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Численность населения на 1 января 2024 г. и среднегодовая численность населения за 2023 год по Республике Беларусь в разрезе областей, районов, городов, поселков городского типа". belsat.gov.by. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  2. ^ "My shtetl\Tolochin". Archived from the original on 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Megargee & Dean 2012, p. 1738.
  4. ^ "- Online Guide of Murder Sites of Jews in the Former USSR - Yad Vashem".

Sources

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  • Megargee, Geoffrey P.; Dean, Martin (2012). The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume II. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. pp. 1738–1739. ISBN 978-0-253-35599-7.
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