Jewish cemeteries in Kamianets-Podilskyi
According to available information, there were four Jewish cemeteries in the city and its environs. Now we know about two of them. The old Jewish kirkut is located southeast of the castle. To get to it, you need to go through private buildings. The exact period of foundation of the cemetery is unknown. The territory of the cemetery is fenced; its perimeter is approximately 450 meters.
There are several surviving matzevahs here, which can be up to 500 years old. On many of them, the inscriptions have been erased and cannot be read due to time, the influence of precipitation and vegetation. Some of the gravestones are dug into the ground. Probably most of the tombstones were dug up and used as building material. Part of the site is reserved for the construction of private houses.
The new (Bilanevskoye) Jewish cemetery is located at the corner of Bondarchuka and Gordiychuka streets. Consists of two sites, the newer one which is well maintained and the old one which looks rather abandoned.
The exact period of foundation of the cemetery is unknown. It has been marked on maps since the 1870s, so it most likely arose during this period. The oldest tombstone belongs to the beginning of the 20th century (1904). With proper clearing of the old part of the cemetery, later tombstones may also be found.
The total number of tombstones is approximately 1000, but the exact number is difficult to establish due to the vegetation, especially on the old part.
The perimeter of the cemetery is about a kilometer long. The northern, southern and western sides of the cemetery require fencing. The site borders on agricultural fields. The land under the cemetery belongs to the local territorial community. The maintenance of the cemetery, the restoration of tombstones and the repair of fences are financed by local authorities and the Jewish community.
On the territory of the cemetery there is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. During the occupation of Kamianets-Podilskyi by the Germans, about 800 old people and children were taken from the local ghetto to this cemetery, where they were shot and buried in a common grave.