On March 15, when the bolsheviki began to retreat from Zhitomir, a rebel movement began in the surrounding region, and a Cossack tribe from beyond the rapids arrived at Cherniakhov, arrested the bourgeois starosta (head man), and the president of the (Jewish) Community, and demanded a contribution of five thousand rubles and also a great deal of produce. The ataman's assistant, Starozhuk, came to the synagogue, where many Jews were huddled together, and demanded that a woman be furnished him. After long and painful discussion it was decided to refuse this, and they presented him personally with 5,000 rubles. In the evening the tribe did some looting and killed one Jewish woman because she would
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not consent to the violation of her daughters. On the next day the tribe departed. Many women had been violated. From this day until Easter, when the Soviet forces arrived, attacks of various bands constantly occurred, from each of which the Jewish population always suffered. They got through, however, without the loss of lives, for they always "adopted measures," that is, gave large sums of money.
A week before Easter the Chertomitzky regiment arrived, which engaged in beating and looting, and exposed the Jews to maltreatment, forcing, for instance, whole groups to sing and dance. Several days later it appeared again and prepared to perpetrate a massacre (all, including the ataman, were drunk), shouting that the Jews were supplying the bolsheviki with cartridges (on the way they had met a certain Jewish youth who was carrying cartridges to sell to Czechs in a neighboring village; the boy was killed on the spot). The ataman of the tribe demanded that a large quantity of products be supplied to him. At this time there arrived from Zhitomir a small detachment commanded by Sokolovsky (the well-known Sokolovsky from the village of Gorbulevo) and Col. Yanitzky. Under the influence of Yanitzky, Sokolovsky interfered and would not permit the pogrom to be carried out, and even arrested the ataman. Sokolovsky spent about a week here and all was quiet.
Just before the Jewish Passover (April 15) there occurred an attack of Petlurists from Zhitomir passing through Cherniakhov with Vozny at their head. They took up quarters in the town over night, and some looting occurred. Yanitzky was equal to the occasion; four looters were killed, and quiet ensued. Two days later they left. The Soviet forces arrived— the 9th regiment (April 18). Looting took place extensively (peasants were also victims of it). The soldiers defended it by saying that the Jews were supporting Petlura, etc. After some days the regiment departed.
After the last pogrom at Radomysl, rumors began to spread that Sokolovsky was coming to Cherniakhov. The symptoms appeared: the peasants began to gather, threats to the Jews were heard, and on June 19 the peasants came to the Jewish artisans and took away from them all the materials that had been furnished them for work ordered. The Jews were frightened and applied to the Revolutionary Committee to take measures. But Davidenko, the President of the Committee, and himself the military commissar, took no action. Afterwards the suspicion was confirmed that he was in league with Sokolovsky. On the next day, June 20, the band broke in and began to loot and kill In the course of something like an hour 14 Jews were killed; about 10 were wounded. The local Christians, especially the school teachers, came forward in defense of the Jews, and stopped the pogrom. In general the Christians of Cherniakhov varied in their attitude; sometimes they baited the Jews, sometimes they defended them; they changed back and forth.
The leader of the band called an assembly, at which Jews were also present (several times they were invited and then driven out). Prominent Christians advised the Jews to draw up a formal statement to the effect that they were not interfering in politics in any way, that they welcomed Sokolovsky, etc. The Jewish inhabitants were inclined to agree to this, but the young people, especially the members of the Bund and the Zionists, opposed it. The statement was not drawn up. Several hours later a Soviet armored train suddenly appeared, the band fled, and the Soviet forces occupied the town. They stayed two or three days, left some red soldiers, and departed. Things became disturbed again; many departed for Zhitomir (on the way to Zhitomir the Feldblum family, of five persons, was murdered). On Tuesday, June 24, some gangs again fired on the town; on that day and the next 14 more people were killed, and several days later, June 28, two more.
YANUSHPOL ( F VOLHYNIA)
Pogrom of March 25-29, 1919
Testimony of S. L. Gorenstein