Hi, I’m Rina, and this is my first article for Time Ukraine Israel. Every week we will meet here and learn more about the history and literature of the Jewish world.
Our history is not easy. We are constantly travelling around the world. But why? Together we will analyse the actions of Jews in different countries, their relations with their neighbours, and their relations with the rulers of these countries.
History is something that people need, like a sip of water in the morning. To avoid mistakes in the future, to know our roots and understand who we really are.
We have not only genes that we inherited from our ancestors, but also genetic memory.
Now a little bit about me: I am a native Kyivan, and so we will often talk about my favourite city. I am a practising Jew, so I will be happy to share more about Judaism with you.
So, let’s go into the Jewish historical world, shall we? Let’s fasten our seatbelts and dive in!
Settlement line in the Russian Empire
Many of you probably know that from 1791 to 1917, the Russian Empire had a so-called settled population zone. What is it?
The Pale of Settlement was a territory in the Russian Empire where Jews were allowed to live permanently. It covered most of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, and Moldova, as well as parts of Poland and Russia.
Jews were forbidden to settle outside this pale, except for certain categories, such as first-guild merchants, people with higher education, or retired soldiers.
Jewish mansions in Kyiv
If you like to walk around Kyiv or have had the opportunity to do so, you have probably noticed the beautiful mansions. Many of them belonged to Jews. Even though Kyiv was geographically part of the Pale of Settlement, Jews were not allowed to live here.
So why are there so many Jewish houses in the capital?
The answer is simple: merchants of the first guild could settle in Kyiv. Who were these merchants? There were three guilds in total: the wealthiest people mostly belonged to the first or second guild. Non-Jews often chose the second guild, while Jews chose the first. Why? The difference in tax rates. The former merchants wanted to save money, while the latter wanted to live in Kyiv. And people often say that Jews are greedy…
Did you know these details about the Jewish presence in the capital?
