The Mass Grave / Cemetery Restoration Projects by Sol Sylvan

Volodymyr Androshuk a local Christian missionary had been to Israel in 1993. In 1999 Voldymyr and his congregates realized that site was in very poor shape. They brought people there to clean and fix it up and take care of it. Volodymyr organized a Forgiveness ceremony. It was the local Lonovitzers who participated in the “forgiveness ceremony.” It was a special occasion to tell Jewish people that the current Ukrainian generation was very sorry that the Ukrainian people collaborated with the Nazis during the war. Since that date in 1999, other generations of local inhabitants would know and have the confidence that they wouldn’t be blamed for what was carried out by former generations, and that they would be “forgiven.” Androshuk invited Jews in nearby local communities, along with people in Kiev and Ternopil. They, too, gathered at the massacre site upon the date the “forgiveness ceremony” was held at the Mass Grave Memorial.

Jews were brought from near by Bilazurka (about 600) and Katerberg ( about 350) to the Lanovtsy Ghetto in early 1942. They were killed in Aug. of 1942 along with the remaining Lanovtsy Jews.

In November 2004 I arranged through the local Christian missionary to have the Mass Grave Memorial and “New” cemetery cleared and maintained. I send him money twice a year and one of his parishioners maintains the grounds April through October.

Lanovtsy Today, the Mass Grave and Some Local People