Vyshnivka (Opalin)

Volynia region - list of settlements and location of objects

Vyshnivka (Opalin), 2024

Sources:
- Jewish encyclopedia of Brockhaus & Efron;
- The All South-Western Territory: reference and address book of the Kyiv, Podolsk and Volyn provinces. Printing house L.M. Fish and P.E. Wolfson, 1913;
- A.Kruglov / Holocaust in the USSR: Encyclopedia / Scientific and Educational Center "Holocaust"; ch. editor Ilya Altman. - Moscow: Rosspen, 2011 - 1143 p.
- Yad Vashem. Murder Story of Opalin

In the 16-18 centuries in the Commonwealth. From 1795 - as part of the Russian Empire. In the 19th - beginning of the 20th century - the township of Opalin of Vladimir-Volynsk district of the Volyn province. In 1919–39 - in the Volyn Voivodeship as part of Poland, in 1939–91 - as part of the Ukrainian SSR.

In 1847, 314 Jews lived in Opalin,
in 1897 - 769 (47,7% of the total population),
in 1921 - 516;
in the mid-1941 - approx. 620 Jews.

Jews resided in Opalin from the 17th century.
In 19th - beginning of the 20th century Jews were engaged in crafts and trade.

In 1913, Jews owned an only tavern (Pinkhas Melamed & Leib Idel), and all 7 shops.

Opalin in the 1913 directory

Volodymyr district, Volyn region

The Germans captured the town in late June 1941. Shortly afterwards Jews had to wear armbands with the Star of David (replaced in September with yellow patches) on the front and back of their outer clothing. They also had to hand over all their money, gold and other valuables and to perform forced labor, usually in agriculture. At the end of 1941 an open ghetto was set up in Opalin.

On October 2, 1942 several Germans and several dozen Ukrainian auxiliary policemen from the town of Luboml who had come to Opalin collected 582 Jews, men and women, and took them outside the town to a large pit that had been prepared at the Jewish cemetery. Upon their arrival at the murder site, the Jews were forced to strip naked and then were shot to death and buried in the pit.

In 1963, Opalin was renamed to Vyshnivka.