Skala-Podilska (; ; ; ) or Skala upon Zbruch (; ; ) is a

rural settlement The definition of a rural settlement depends on the country, in some countries, a rural settlement is any settlement in the areas defined as rural by a governmental office, e.g., by the national census bureau. This may include even rural towns. ...

Chortkiv Raion Chortkiv Raion () is a raion in Ternopil Oblast in western Ukraine. Its capital (political), administrative center is the city of Chortkiv. It has a population of History In the Second Polish Republic, the area belonged to the County of Kopczync ...

Ternopil Oblast Ternopil Oblast (), also referred to as Ternopilshchyna () or Ternopillia (), is an Oblasts of Ukraine, oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its Capital (political), administrative center is Ternopil, through which flows the Seret (river), Seret, a tribu ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

over the

Zbruch River The Zbruch (; ) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч

Skala-Podilska settlement hromada, one of the

hromada In Ukraine, a hromada () is the main type of municipality and the third level Administrative divisions of Ukraine, local self-government in Ukraine. The current hromadas were established by the Cabinet of ministers of Ukraine, Government of Uk ...

s of Ukraine. Population: It was, at one time, named simply "Skala", however the town compounded its name, variously, to "Skala upon Zbruch", in order to distinguish itself from another town with that same name.

History

Geographically the town is located in the western

Podolia Podolia or Podillia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located in the west-central and southwestern parts of Ukraine and northeastern Moldova (i.e. northern Transnistria). Podolia is bordered by the Dniester River and Boh River. It features ...

, hence the name. It is located not far where

Zbruch The Zbruch (; ) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч

Dniester The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...

. The town is first mentioned after its fortress that was built in 1360s - 1370s. After the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia was torn apart between the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...

and the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

, the city was secured by the Lithuanian family of Koriatovychi, but later in the 15th century it was passed to the Polish Crown with which it stayed except Ottoman rule between 1672 and 1699 until the

First partition of Poland The First Partition of Poland took place in 1772 as the first of three partitions that eventually ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The growth of power in the Russian Empire threatened the Kingdom of Prussia an ...

in the late 18th century. During Ottoman times, it was nahiya centre in

Kamaniçe Kamianets-Podilskyi (, ; ) is a city on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi. Formerly the administrative center of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the city is now the administrative center of Kamianets ...

sanjak of

Podolia Eyalet Podolia Eyalet () was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. Its capital was Kamianets-Podilskyi (; ; ). History In 1672, the Ottoman army, led by Sultan Mehmed IV, captured Kamaniçe after a short siege. The Treaty of Buchach confirmed Ottoman con ...

as ''İskala''. After this partition, it became part of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

except brief

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

rule between 1809 and 1815. Because of this precarious location, it has a history of

ethnic An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

diversity and has been, during periods of war or political unrest, particularly susceptible to turmoil. Prior to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Skala-Podilska was part of the province of Galicia, on the eastern border of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

. In 1919—after World War I, the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Polish-Ukrainian War—Skala upon Zbruch became part of eastern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. It was populated mostly by Ukrainians, Poles, and Jews. The town bordered the Soviet Union, from which it was separated only by the Zbrucz River. Prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Skala-Podilska was home to a significant Jewish population.

Cossacks The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic languages, East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borde ...

from the east frequently crossed over the river to raid the town, focusing their violence and destruction on Skala's Jewish population. In 1939—toward the beginning of World War II—the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

invaded An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives of co ...

Skala upon Zbruch and forcibly "resettled" many of the Ukrainians, Poles, and Jews to remote areas of the Soviet Union. Due both to the forcible nature of these "resettlements" and to the severe conditions of the resettlement regions, these locales have sometimes been characterized as "being arrested and sent to the gulag" (see Gulag#During World War II"). In the summer-autumn of 1941, the territories annexed by the Soviet Union were overrun by Nazi Germany in the course of the initially successful German attack on the USSR. Most of the Jews from Skala upon Zbruch perished during the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

Borshchiv Ghetto Borshchiv Ghetto () was a Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the Ukrainian town of Borshchiv, Borshchiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast, between April 1942 and July 1943. Ghetto history The ghetto was formed in Borshchiv on 1 A ...

. After the defeat of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

, Skala-Podilska officially became part of the Soviet Union as a result of the

territorial changes of Poland after World War II At the end of World War II, Poland underwent major changes to the location of its international border. In 1945, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Oder–Neisse line became its western border, resulting in gaining the Recovered Territorie ...

. It became part of Ukraine on July 16, 1990, when Ukraine declared its independence from the

. Until 18 July 2020, Skala-Podilska belonged to

Borshchiv Raion Borshchiv Raion (), historically known as , was a raion (district) within Ternopil Oblast in western Ukraine, in a historical region known as Galicia and bordering Podollia. The administrative center of the raion was Borshchiv, its only city. ...

. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Ternopil Oblast to three. The area of Borshchiv Raion was merged into Chortkiv Raion. Until 26 January 2024, Skala-Podilska was designated

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...

. On that day, a new law entered into force which abolished this status, and Skala-Podilska became a rural settlement.

Geography and geology

The town is located 108 km away from the regional center and 37 km from the district center. The name of the town reflects the features of the relief and the geological structure of the terrain. The local ultrasound mountains with rocky screws were a serious obstacle to enemies. Unlike the surrounding area, where limestone deposits belong to a thick ridge (once a barrier reef of the ancient

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; ; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples who dominated the Pontic–Caspian steppe, Pontic steppe from about the 5th century BCE to the 4t ...

, belonging to the Neogene Period Cenozois), in the Skala itself, they are an inheritance of silo. Disassembly of the Silurian period near the Skala Podilsky castle since 1996 are protected by the state as a monument of local geology.

Monuments

Nature

Geological monument of the nature of local significance — "Dislocation of Silurian in Skala-Podilska". The botanical monument of the nature of local significance — "age oaks". Skala-Podilska borders on the

Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park The Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park () is a national park, located in Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi Raions (districts) of Khmelnytskyi Oblast (province) in the southern region of the western Ukraine. It is the largest nature conservat ...

Architecture, Memorial Tables

* Skala-Podilska Castle - defensive building, monument of national importance architecture. Preserved ruins of powder tower, defensive walls and palace. * Skala-Podilska Park - a monument of garden art of national importance. * Church of the Dormition (built in 1882 instead of the same name of the wooden temple of 1720-1728; Marriage

Mykhailo Hrushevsky Mykhailo Serhiiovych Hrushevsky (; – 24 November 1934) was a Ukrainian academician, politician, historian and statesman who was one of the most important figures of the Ukrainian national revival of the early 20th century. Hrushevsky is ...

and Maria-Ivanna from Voyakovsky, their local pastor. * Roman Catholic Church of Heaven of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1719, mold) * People's Home (1885), for a long time requires repair * Church of the Suppression of the Blessed Virgin Mary (since 2013 builds) * Chapel-Tomb of Goluhovsky, semi-destroyed * Chapel, figure of Jesus Christ (2002) The monuments of Khmelnitsky (1954) were built, in the brotherly grave of Warriors Cha (1957), in honor of the victory in the

(1988), victims of Stalinist Repressions (1996), a symbolic grave of the USS (1990). * Memorial Crosses in honor of Ukraine's independence (1992), cancellation of the Board (Restor. 1999) * Mykhailo Hrushevsky Monument in Central Square (2010) * Memorial tables in honor of Mikhail Baran (1987), B. Pavlyuk, M. Scala-Starytsky (1995), on the building of Katyna NKVD (14.10.2015) * On December 26, 2014, a solemn opening and dedication of the priests of the Memorial constructed in memory of dead heroes - participants of the revolution of dignity and fighting in the east of Ukraine - the priest of the UOC KP (Fr. Ilya Nejah), the RCC - (Fr. Volodymyr Strogush) and UGCC - (Fr. Vasyl Germanyuk).

Notable residents

* Zvi Zimmerman (1913-2006),

Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

activist, jurist, and

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

i politician

International relations

Skala-Podilska is twinned with *

Sędziszów Sędziszów is a town in Jędrzejów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 6,830 inhabitants (2004). The town belongs to Lesser Poland. Transport Sędziszów railway station is a stop for both the PKP intercity trains and their reg ...

References

Additional External Resources

* Paintings of Jewish Skala before the war by Shoshana Eden http://shoshana-eden.co.il/Eng
Bibliography for Skala Researchers
* Tracy Abraham, To Speak for the Silenced (Dvorah Publishing Company, 2007)

* Skala on the River Zbrucz, edited by Skala Research Group and Skala Benevolent Society, 2010, translation of original Skala Yizkor Book, see http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/SkalaPodol/SkalaYizkorBook.html {{Authority control Skala-Podilska settlement hromada Rural settlements in Chortkiv Raion Historic Jewish communities in Ukraine Holocaust locations in Ukraine Zbruch