| Country | Belarus |
|---|---|
| Region | Minsk Region |
| District | Talachyn District |
| First mentioned | 1385 |
| Population as of | 1994 |
| Population total | 450 |
| Time zone | MSK (UTC+3) |
| Coordinates | 54°35′40″N 29°49′44″E |
Aboltsy (Belarusian: Абольцы;[1] Russian: Обольцы) is an agrotown in Talachyn District, Vitebsk Region, Belarus.[1] It is located 40 kilometres (25 mi) west-northwest of Orsha.[2] It serves as the administrative center of Aboltsy selsoviet.[1] In 1994, it had a population of 450.[3]
History
Aboltsy is first mentioned in 1385 under the name Obolchi (Оболчи) as belonging to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the List of Russian Cities, Far and Near.[3] In the 15th and early 16th century, it was the center of a powiat within the land of Vitebsk.[3] Following the administrative reforms of 1565–1566, it belonged to the county of Orsha within Vitebsk Voivodeship.[3]
Following its incorporation into the Russian Empire, Aboltsy had a population of 265 in 1885.[3]
In 1923, there were 353 Jews living there out of a total population of 382.[2]
World War II
During World War II, it was under German military occupation from early July 1941 until June 1944.[4]
The Germans established a ghetto on 14 August 1941 and about 150 people or 25 families were placed in two single-story buildings of a local school.[2] On 5 March 1942, news of the mass murder of Jews in Smalyany reached the ghetto, and at midnight, 60 Jews escaped from the school according to survivors' accounts.[2] The number of escapees may be an exaggeration, but it is known that a number of young Jews from the village later fought for partisan units such as the Zaslonov brigade.[2] The ghetto was liquated on 4 June and approximately 100 Jews were shot.[2]
Geography
Aboltsy is situated 36 kilometres (22 mi) from Talachyn, 116 kilometres (72 mi) from Vitebsk, and 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the station Lyemnitsa.[3]
References
- ^ Gaponenko, Irina Olegovna (2009). Назвы населеных пунктаў Рэспублікі Беларусь: Віцебская вобласць. Minsk: Тэхналогія. p. 439. ISBN 978-985-458-192-7.
- ^ Megargee & Dean 2012, p. 1709.
- ^ Беларуская энцыклапедыя, p. 32
- ^ Megargee & Dean 2012, p. 1708.
Sources
- Беларуская энцыклапедыя: У 18 т. Т. 1: А — Аршын. Minsk: Беларуская энцыклапедыя. 1996. p. 32. ISBN 985-11-0036-6.
- 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. p. 1709. ISBN 978-0-253-35599-7.