A field research group for Yahad-in Unum organization headed by the famous Holocaust researcher and Catholic priest Patrick Desbois has found human remains near Nikopol.

Head of the group Alexei Kosarevsky explains, “Currently it’s just a wheat field but we’ve found out that in 1930s it’s been a Jewish cemetery. This area to the north of Nikopol was a Jewish agricultural district established in 1920-1930s by AgroJoint and EvComs. They also are a part of the so-called Stalindorf district but quite different from the colonies to the east of Krivoy Rog. Here the settlements had no names, just numbers from 1 to 25. The cemetery we’ve found was used by settlements ## 14, 5 and 8”.

Now nothing’s left of the former colonies and cemeteries but the field group after asking the villagers have found on the border of the field in the shrubbery several crude stones which turned out to be matzevas and some human remains – fragments of sculls and bones. Alexei Kosarevsky stopped the works, ensured the guarding of the site and immediately reported their findings to the Paris Yahad-in Unum office and rabbi Mendel Samama who’s in charge of Jewish aspect of Patrick Desbois’ expedition and the office of Chief rabbi Kaminezki.

The next day a group from the Dnepropetrovsk Chevra Kadisha arrived at the spot and buried the remains with honour and strict observance of Jewish tradition right there and put a matzeva on the top.

Alexei’s group moved further but on their way back in the evening they saw the new grave and were touched to tears. They came over to pay their respect and were happy to see that the human remains have found their last place of rest.

And the Chevra Kadisha group headed by Alexander Fridkis was already on its way to do further its necessary work so that each Jew when his/her soul leave this world was buried with respect and tradition.

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