Famous People

ISAAC LVOVITCH BRONFMAN

Isaak Lvovitch Bronfman was a Jewish poet born on April 15, 1913, in Khashchevatoye to a family of a boilermaker. His parents were killed in 1920 in one of the cruel pogroms in the village. He grew up in an orphanage. He graduated from the Gaysin Industrial College as a rural traveling mechanic. 

After completing technical school, he moved to Birobidzhan in 1931, working various jobs including as a tractor driver and assistant locomotive engineer. During World War II, Bronfman served as a technical assistant to a tank company commander. He published his first poem in Yiddish in 1929. 

His first poetry collection in Yiddish, "Along Bright Roads," was released in 1947. Bronfman's works were published in various newspapers, journals, and almanacs in both Russian and Yiddish. In 1965, his poems were included in an anthology of modern Jewish poetry published in Moscow. The same year, a collection of his poems in Russian, "Snowdrop," was published in Khabarovsk. He became a member of the Writers' Union in 1968. From 1946 to 1972, Bronfman worked as the head of the industrial department at the "Birobidzhaner Stern" newspaper. Bronfman's poetry often focused on his experiences during the war, his love for his adopted homeland in the Far East, and his childhood memories. His style was characterized by simplicity and accessibility, with a touch of humor even in serious subjects. Isaak Bronfman passed away on September 1, 1978, leaving behind a legacy of poetry that resonated with many readers in Birobidzhan and beyond.

GEDALYE DUVIDOVITCH KOSOY 

Gedalye Kosoy was born in 1903, in Khashchevatoye in a poor family. He was a prose author. At age eleven he was apprenticed to a confectioner. In 1920, during the Soviet civil war, at age seventeen he emigrated to the United States, and there he developed an inclination for literary work; he even ventured to show his first literary efforts to Morris Winchevsky, the “grandfather of proletarian literature.” He later wrote up and published a memoir of this meeting. 

Unhappy on that side of the ocean, he returned in early 1924 and settled in the Jewish agricultural colony of “Nit gedayget” near Odessa. He debuted in print with a story in 1935 and had another in Sovetishe literatur (Soviet literature) in 1939. When Germany attacked the Soviet Union, he volunteered to join the Red Army to fight. After the war he settled in Vinnitsa and worked as a bookdealer. He had a story published in the almanac Shtern (Star) in 1948. Like many other Yiddish writers, he tried to switch to Ukrainian and got a local publisher to bring out a collection of his stories. He returned to Yiddish when Sovetish heymland  (Soviet homeland) launched in Moscow. The protagonists of Kosoy’s stories are mostly old men, pensioners, who recount by themselves their difficult lives, though they remain optimistic even while fate has not spared them. In book form: In yorn arum (Years later), a supplement to Sovetish heymland  (1985) and Moscow: Sovetski pisatel ( 1985). He died in Vinnitsa in 1991 and is buried there.

LEONID ISRAELOVITCH SOLGUTOVSKY

Leonid Solgutovsky was a remarkable teacher, local historian, and museum creator who dedicated his life to preserving and sharing the history of his homeland in the Kirovograd region of Ukraine. Born in Khashchevatoye in 1922, Solgutovsky lived there throughout his life, leaving a lasting impact on his community and beyond.

Solgutovsky was evacuated to the Orenburg region during World War II, where he completed his secondary education in 1942. From January 1943 to March 1950, he served in the ranks of the Soviet Army, participating in battles on the Southwestern and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. He was wounded three times and took part in the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, 1945, receiving 19 government awards for his heroic service. After graduating from the Vinnitsa Pedagogical Institute, Solgutovsky worked as a history teacher and principal from 1950 to 1996, first at the Kazavchin seven-year school and later at the Khashchevatoye secondary school. He created a history classroom in the school, which was recognized as one of the best in the region. For over 30 years, he led the district's methodological association of history teachers. 

In 1975, Solgutovsky established a museum dedicated to the 5th Guards Red Banner Tank Army, which eventually evolved into a comprehensive historical museum. Over 35 years, the museum became a hub for research and education, attracting scholars, local historians, teachers, veterans, journalists, and students from multiple generations. The museum, located in two rooms of the Khashchevatoye school, houses over 6,000 exhibits across 56 sections. The collection includes photographs, documents, personal belongings of soldiers, wartime artifacts, hand-written memoirs, models, periodicals from the war era, paintings, and portraits. Each item in the museum tells a human story, bringing history to life for visitors. Key section of the museum covers the liberation of Khashchevatoye, the stories of students and teachers who gave their lives for their country, and the fates of villagers who perished during the war. Solgutovsky also meticulously researched and documented the Holocaust tragedy in Khashchevatoye, where over a thousand local Jewish residents were executed in February 1942. The museum received the title of "People's Museum" in 1991 and has been recognized with numerous awards and honors from educational and cultural organizations. 

Solgutovsky was a prolific researcher and writer, contributing to the project "History of Cities and Villages of the Ukrainian SSR. Kirovograd Region" (1972). He authored over 300 publications for local press and published several books, including "Essays on the History of the Village of Khashchevatoye" (1966), "Gaivoron Region during the Great Patriotic War" (1998, 1999), "Essays on the History of the Gaivoron Region" (1999), and "The Reform of Serfdom in the Gaivoron Region" (2001). In addition to his historical work, Solgutovsky was passionate about music. He created a folk instrument orchestra in his village before the war and later attended seminars for amateur composers at the Odessa Conservatory. For 36 years, he led the school's folk instrument orchestra, which won numerous competitions and reviews. Solgutovsky contributions to education and local history were widely recognized. He received the titles of "Teacher-Methodologist," "Excellence in Education of the Ukrainian SSR," and "Excellence in Education of the USSR." In 1999, he was awarded the regional local history prize named after Volodymyr Yastrebov, and in 2000, he became a laureate of the All-Ukrainian Prize named after Volodymyr Antonovych. Solgutovsky's dedicated work resulted in one of the best museums in the region, which continues to operate in his native school under the leadership of his former student, Olena Vdovychenko. The museum plays a vital role in educating new generations about local history and fostering patriotic values.

In 2013, based on Solgutovsky's research, a memorial complex called "Khashchevatoye Tragedy" was built and opened to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. The site of the mass execution in Khashchevatoye was declared a cultural heritage site of local significance by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine. Leonid Solgutovsky's life and work continue to inspire and educate. His legacy lives on through the museum he created, the street named after him, and the annual commemorations held in his honor.