Ushachy

Ushachy (Ушачы; Ушачи) is an urban-type settlement in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Ushachy District. The settlement is located 101 km west of Vitebsk. As of 2023, it has a population of 5,802.

History
In 1939, there were 487 Jews residing in the town of Ushachi, accounting for approximately 23.8% of the total population at that time. However, during the period from 1941 to 1944, Ushachi came under German occupation. As part of the occupation policies, a ghetto enclosed by barbed wire was established in Ushachi in October 1941. Tragically, on January 12, 1942, the Jewish population of Ushachi in the ghetto was subjected to mass murder. The killings took place in pre-dug pits near the cemetery, which had been prepared by local residents. It is important to note that prior to the liquidation, some Jews within the ghetto were able to set fire to the confines and escape. Additionally, a few days later, the Jews from the nearby town of Kublichi were also killed at the same pits where the Ushachi Jews had met their fate.