Romaniv Cemetery

The exact date of the establishment of the cemetery is unknown. However, the oldest tombstone dates back to 1891. According to the 1994–95 survey by the Jewish Preservation Committee (KSEN), the cemetery was also used by the Jews of Bykivka.  There is a common (mass) grave from 1941. There are signs in Ukrainian to mark the cemetery, which is accessible through a field.  There is a fence and an unlocked gate. There are approximately two hundred matzevot (gravestones), apparently in their original location, upright and whole. The cemetery was surveyed and fenced by The European Jewish Cemetery Initiative (ESJF) in August 2021. It is well-preserved and maintained.  The oldest matzevah is from 1891, and the most recent found by ESJF is from 2016. 

The common (mass) grave is marked. The municipal authorities and residents maintain the cemetery. 

In 2023, there was an educational event in Romaniv, attended by teachers, students, historians, and museum staff, as well as the local village council members.  Speakers were Yakiv Yakovenko, a senior researcher at the Kyiv City History Museum, and Petro Yakovenko, a historian. 

As part of the event, some of the participants went to the Jewish cemetery for a lesson on Jewish epigraphy. 

Sources

Romaniv Jewish Cemetery: EJSF Survey (includes photos of matzevot)

Education event took place in the village of Romaniv (photo from 2023 event)

JewishGen's Cemetery Discovery Project Romaniv: Zhitomirskaya