Tomashpil


Tomashpil is a rural settlement in the eastern Podolia, specifically in Tulchyn Raion of Vinnytsia Oblast in central Ukraine. Tomashpil is situated on the banks of the Rusava River. Tomashpil is the administrative district of Tomashpil Raion, home to 40.608 people scattered over the town and 30 villages around. Population:
The closest railway station is Vapniarka, 19 km away. It is accessible by taxi or a small bus called a 'Marshrutka'.

History

The area of Tomashpil and all of Bratslav Voivodeship was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until 1569. And in 1569 it passed to the Polish kingdom. The first historical mention in the documents dates to 1616, when Tomashpil and the entire Podolia belonged to the Kingdom of Poland. During Polish rule Tomshpil belonged to Braclaw Voivoidship. In 1793, during the Second Partition of Poland, Tomashpil and Eastern Podolia passed from Poland to the Russian Empire. It was part of short-lived Ukrainian National Republic in 1917–1919. From 1922 until 1991 it was in the USSR. Since 1991 it has been a part of independent Ukraine.
The name Tomashpil stems from Polish name for Thomas—Tomasz, pronounced as "Tomash". The ending "pil" is presumably from Greek "polis" or Slavic "pole".
Until 26 January 2024, Tomashpil was designated urban-type settlement. On this day, a new law entered into force which abolished this status, and Tomashpil became a rural settlement.

Tomashpil Jews

The earliest known Jewish community was 17th century. 1939 Jewish population was 3,252. Affecting the Jewish community were Khmelnytskyi Pogroms in 1648–9, pogroms in 1919–20, the shooting of 350 Jews on August 4, 1941, and the 1941–1944 ghetto. The Jewish cemetery was established in 1928 with last known Hasidic burial in 1994. The cemetery is located just South of Tomashphil, on a hillside on the right side of the road leading to Yampil. It is bordering a much newer Polish cemetery. Although many of the older grave markers are difficult to read, there are many newer ones that are well maintained. There is also a mass grave for the 350 Jews shot in 1941. Today, Tomashpol is considered a Ukrainian town and few Jews remain living there, although sometimes groups or individuals come searching for the gravestones or houses of their relatives. Some of the old Jewish houses remain on the old street near the central marketplace, although most are in disrepair.

Economy

There is a sugar plant and textile industries in Tomashpil. A first sugar factory was built in 1857 but was set on fire in 1866. A new sugar factory was built in 1873, with status approved on 11 July 1875, whose director was the French engineer Louis Willaime. It is still operational 3 months out of the year when the sugar crop comes in. The biggest deposit of sawn stone in Ukraine is situated in Vinnytsia oblast 10 km from Tomashpil.

Population