In Monastyrshchina, located in the Smolensk region of Russia, the Jewish community and local authorities recently celebrated the completion of reconstruction work on the Holocaust memorial site with a formal opening ceremony. The event included the traditional ribbon‑cutting, unveiling of the restored memorial, and the recitation of the ‘Kel Maleh Rachamim’ prayer, Kaddish and words of wisdom, by Chief Rabbi of the city and region of Smolensk Levi Mondshine, marking a powerful moment of collective remembrance.

Attendees gathered around the newly renovated monument, which now features refreshed headstones, inscriptions, and landscaping to better preserve the memory of those lost. Community leaders and descendants of victims joined in paying tribute, laying wreaths and lighting memorial candles as part of the dedication.

Monastyrshchina once hosted a vibrant Jewish community: in the mid-1920s, about 1,370 Jews lived there—more than half the town’s population. Before the Nazi invasion in August 1941, the town had its own Jewish school, kindergarten, Yiddish cultural institutions, and a library.

Shortly after occupation, a ghetto was established in Monastyrshchina in late 1941, gathering 800–1,000 Jews from the town and surrounding areas. During the bitter winter months, residents endured starvation and suffering. In February 1942, the ghetto was liquidated—its entire population was murdered and buried in mass graves. About 50 additional Jews discovered in hiding were also executed.