"Evreization"

Kobrin → Outstanding persons → Alexey Mikhaylovich Martynov

Unlike other headings of these notes this word should be selected with quotes as for a number of the specific reasons, during a number of centuries influence of Jewry on life of other population had very peculiar character that was not reflected in its weight and scale at all.

Among not so numerous ethnic groups of Kobrin district long since a specific place was held by most "exotic", i.e. alien - Jewry. For the first time its emergence in us is authentically known at the end of 15 St. According to data of 1563 on Pinskaya St. 30 Jewish families lived. There was also "a Jewish school", that is a house of worship. By this time very characteristic data on major activities of Jews belong. "It is washed Kobrinskoye's (duty) and a kopshchizna (a tax on drinks) with we pose beer, honey and gorechany to a zhidova on rent held". In other words, already then Jews were engaged in payoffs, i.e. paid to the state in the advance payment a certain sum which then by installments was collected from consumers of this production. Along with it ten Jewish families processed the earth - 8 dragged (one voloka - over 20 tithes). Besides Kobrin Jews lived in Dobuchin (Pruzhana) entering the Kobrin principality and in Gorodtsa. In Dobuchin there were 8 families, there was also "a Jewish school", in Gorodtsa - 2 families.

At the end of 18 Art. in Kobrin there were Jews over one thousand, in 1862 - 4200, and in 1906 from total of citizens of 9184 Jews there were 6289. Except the city, the vast majority of inhabitants of a number of large rural settlements (Gorodets, Antopol, Drogichin, Ivanovo, Divin, Zhabinka) who on a bureaucratic slang of that time officially were called as "the Jewish places" was made by the same Jews from time immemorial called here by kikes whereas the word "Jews" which became nowadays obligatory completely was absent in a local lexicon. At the beginning of 20 Art. the Kobrin County was included into so-called "pale of settlement", i.e. a zone of residence of Jews in the cities and places. To them it was at that time forbidden to live in villages and to be engaged in agriculture. It is unlikely it is necessary to explain that Jews were not allowed to hold any state positions.

Owing to extremely difficult economic conditions and various humiliating restrictions naiboley the active part of the Jewish youth in large quantities emigrated across the ocean, especially at the beginning of 20 Art., the benefit the visa regime completely was absent. In the USA there was so numerous colony of our natives that they could publish two-volume history of Kobrin Jewry. Pathological thirst for comprehensive national isolation, panic fear of assimilation was the most characteristic feature of Jews. Therefore mixed marriages made the most rare exception. The aspiration to self-isolation reached formation of a certain similarity of an amateur ghetto. In particular, Jews had the administrative self-government called kagaly, the schools with a religious bias - heder and eshibota, the cemetery - kvoris, the hospital, the bath, even the office in a city slaughterhouse to some extent helping devout to observe severe culinary instructions of the Talmud. As the spiritual uniting center served the central synagogue which monumental building was built in the middle of the past century, apparently, on the place of same more ancient of "Jewish school" on Pinskaya St. The clergy, rabbis, priors of a synagogue and numerous local houses of worship held huge moral authority with Jews.

It is possible to claim without the slightest exaggeration that steady influence of Jews on one and all spheres of economic activity of the Kobrin County-poveta was comprehensive and vsepodavlyayushchy. Since the actual monopoly for trade. The main part of housing stock both the downtown, and the adjoining streets, was in the Jewish hands. And on peripheral, "petty-bourgeois", streets separate Jewish families peacefully got on alternately with non Jews. It is a lot of brisk meshchanchuk, especially from so-called "shabesgoiv" which for remuneration rendered to Jews small services in strictly observed holidays, got skilled at to talk tolerably into Yiddish. Besides, the non Jewish minority of citizens was forced by force of things to remember by heart all main Jewish holidays, considering their possible consequences by drawing up the business plans.

From time immemorial in places of the mass congestion Jews were the main factor of "deal", on present terminology of "business", in the widest value of this concept. It is enough to tell what to five hundred trade and enterprise units was registered in the city and as much in a poveta by the Polish administration. With rare exception all of them belonged to Jews. The Polish authorities in the 30th repeatedly did attempts to finish with century monopoly of Jews under the loud slogan "The to the behind the!" by all measures transition of shops to the Polish hands was encouraged. Delivery of permissions to Jews to some types of trade services was limited. However owing to amicable repulse of both Jews, and the mass buyer this invention turned out a complete fiasco.
Attack of Hitlerites on Poland caused huge alarm among Jews: what put future prepares for us?. With that big enthusiasm the krasnozvyozdny tanks which appeared on city streets on September 22 were met by them. However, initial joyful waste vanished quickly. Densely - hardened life of Jewry was blown up by squall of the stunning events which turned all upside down.

A.M. Martynov



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