Bobruisk District Historical Economic Summaries

Provided by
The Minsk Historical Genealogy Group
Oleg Perzashkevich, Director

Village of Ozarichi

by Oleg Perzashkevich

Ozarichi before 1917

History

Mid. XVI century - Ozarichi was founded as a shtetle in Mozyr District of Minsk Province of Great Lithuanian Princedom.

Early - mid. XVII century - Jewish population appeared in Ozarichi.

1762 - Ozarichi owner Peter Tsarinsky built there the Orthodox church of St. Peter and Paul in wood.

1766 - 1796 - Ozarichi was a possession of nobleman Karol Pantserzhinsky.

Jan. 8, 1786 - Polish King Stanislav-August awarded Ozarichi a privilege to hold two annual fairs.

Since 1793 - Ozarichi was in Russian Empire.

1799 - Russian Emperor Paul I ordered to hand Ozarichi over to Secret Councillor (high official in Russian Empire) Sergey Loshkarev.

1801-1917 - Ozarichi was a shtetle in Bobruisk District of Minsk Province.

1820s - the owner and local believers built an Orthodox church in wood.

Vital Statistics

Jewish Life

Since the 2nd half of the XIXth century Jewish community of Ozarichi had their own mayor. That mayor was elected by local Jews. In 1896 LIBERMAN Movsha son of Abram was the mayor.

In the beg. XX century in Ozarichi there were 4 praying houses.

Economic Review

Traditional activities of local Jewish population were trade with timber, fish, vodka and fur. Since early times Visha and Ipa rivers were main roads for local habitants. Except them, there is a small lake near Ozarichi, that was rich with fish.

In 1717 Ozarichi paid 150 zlotys of taxes.

During Russian principality vodka trade was under state hard control and became less popular among Jewish businessmen. But the authorities did a lot to develop the region because of military and fiscal reasons mostly.

In 1884 there were about 70 wooden houses in Ozarichi. But the combination of new types communications (Bobruisk - Mozyr road was upgraded to highway in 1880s) involved Ozarichi in the process of market integration of Central Minsk and Libava - Romny railway stations and Southern parts of Belarus (Mozyr, Pinsk and other Pripyat harbours). And since end XIX - early XX century Ozarichi began to develop rapidly enough. However, timber, fish and fur the most popular goods among local Jews.

For the early XX century we have no information about any major business and trade enterprises In Ozarichi. But there was a developed enough social sphere in the Shtetle.

In 1909 in Ozarichi there were 230 wooden houses.

General cultural information