Lipcani () is a town in

Briceni District Briceni () is a district () in the north-west of Moldova, with the administrative center at Briceni. The other major city is Lipcani. As of January 1, 2011, its population was 75,300. History The first documentary attestation dates back to distri ...

, Moldova. It is also a border crossing between Moldova and Romania.

Overview

Lipcani is located on the banks of the

Prut river The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube, and is long. Part of its course forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine. Characteristics The Prut originates on the eas ...

, which forms the border with

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. The border with

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 ...

( Criva border crossing point) is also only a few kilometers to the north. Lipcani is located in the

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

region. The closest large urban centres are

Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...

in Ukraine,

Suceava Suceava () is a Municipiu, city in northeastern Romania. The seat of Suceava County, it is situated in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Bukovina and Western Moldavia, Moldavia, northeastern Romania. It is the largest urban ...

in Romania, and

Bălți Bălți () is a city in Moldova. It is the second-largest city in terms of population, area and economic importance, after Chișinău. The city holds the status of municipiu. Sometimes called "the northern capital", it is a major industrial, cu ...

in Moldova. Lipcani is about from the Ukrainian city of

Khotyn Khotyn (, ; , ; see #Name, other names) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city in Dnistrovskyi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine, located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. It hosts the administration of Khotyn urban hromada, one of th ...

. The town is crossed by a small river called Medvedca. Because of misspelling or translation difficulties, it is also referred to as: Lipcan, Lipcany, Lipkan, Lipkani, Lipchen, Lipcheny, Lipcheni, Lipcani Targ, Lipceni, Lipchany, Lypchany, Lipchani, Lipkamya, Lepkan, Lepkany, Lepkani, Lepcan, Lepcany, Lepcani, Linkani, Liptchani, Lipkane, Lipkon and Lipcon.

Timeline

*June 17, 1429: The first historical mention of Lipcani. *1699: Some of the Kamieniec

Lipka Tatars The Lipka Tatars are a Turkic ethnic group and minority in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus who originally settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the beginning of the 14th century. The first Tatar settlers tried to preserve their Pagan tradi ...

who remained loyal to the Ottoman

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

after fighting for him were settled in a town in

that became known as Lipcani. * 1812: Lipcani and the rest of

became a part of Russia. * 1900: Population 4,410. Name: Lipkany, Khotin, Bessarabia,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. * 1904: By this year, there was already a railroad connecting Lipcani with Novoselitsy. * 1905: Various parts of Bessarabia were subject to Anti-Jewish pogroms. * August 1916: Romania entered WWI on the side of the

Triple Entente The Triple Entente (from French meaning "friendship, understanding, agreement") describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was built upon th ...

against

Austria-Hungary 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#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. * March 2, 1918: The 2nd Cavalry Division of the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...

, who was originally subordinate to the Kosak Group and then to the 17th Army Corps and to the Ost-Armee, took Lipcani and Larga. They later moved to

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

. * : Bessarabia was still part of the Russian Empire, but after the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

it declared itself an independent republic (

Moldavian Democratic Republic The Moldavian Democratic Republic (MDR; , ), also known as the Moldavian Republic or Moldavian People's Republic, was a state proclaimed on by the ''Sfatul Țării'' (National Council) of Bessarabia, elected in October–November 1917 foll ...

). The regional National Council (

Sfatul Țării ''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council of political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in Russian Empire, Tsarist Russia. This became a legislative body which e ...

) of the Moldavian Democratic Republic decided union with Romania on . * August 11, 1918 The 187th

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

of the

moved from

Czernowitz Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivtsi serv ...

, via

Novoselytsia Novoselytsia (, ; , ; ; ) is a city in Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast, Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast (oblast, province) of Ukraine. It stands at the northern tip of Bessarabia region, on its border with Bukovina. It hosts the administra ...

, to Lipcani, where they stayed until August 15. * August 16, 1924: Along the forest of (15 mi from Hotin), a couple of Romanian

gendarmes A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (). In France and som ...

who were taking two terrorists whom they had just arrested to Lipcani, were attacked by a Russian squad who killed one gendarme and went off with the terrorists. * 1930: Name: Lipcani-Târg, Hotin, Basarabia, Romania. * 1935: Lipcani Culture house built. * 1937: Lipcani-Rădăuți Bridge opened. * End of the 1930s: Lipcani was a small provincial town, populated mainly by

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, who mostly lived in the central part of the town. There were about ten synagogues in Lipcani. There was a different synagogue for each

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

: tailors, shoemakers, cabmen, etc. "Guild" synagogues were located in neighborhoods in the outskirts of town. Richer Jews had big synagogues in the center of town. There were 4,698 Jews on the eve of World War II. * June–July 1940: The Red Army entered Lipcani, declaring it part of the Soviet Union. Many

Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...

escaped to Romania and left all their belongings behind. The Soviet authorities arrested all kulaks, executed some and sent the rest to Siberia. Since the Communist system promoted atheism, the authorities began to fight religion by closing synagogues, churches and cheders. * August 2, 1940: The

Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic or Moldavian SSR (, mo-Cyrl, Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ), also known as the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan SSR, Soviet Moldavia, Sovie ...

was formed, which included Bessarabia without its Southern part. Territories given to

initially included

Edineț Edineț () is a municipality in northern Moldova. It is the administrative center of the Edineț District, eponymous district. The town is located 201 km north of the national capital, Chișinău. It is located at . The town administers two ...

Briceni Briceni () is a city in northern Moldova. It is the seat of Briceni District. Demographics At the 2004 census, the city had a population of 8,765. At the 1930 census, there were two localities: ''Briceni Târg'' (literally ''Briceni Fair''), a ...

, Lipcani and Ocnița. When the Soviets came, Lipcani was a town near the border. It belonged to the USSR and the area beyond the town was Romania. * November 4, 1940: The borders were changed by the decree of the SS of USSR. * 1940: 1,218 households and 5,726 people. * June 22, 1941: The Germans invaded the Soviet Union and opened fire on Lipcani. There was a commandant office and a frontier regiment in Lipcani that set up a defensive position. * July 1941: The Germans captured Bessarabia, and the area of

named

Transnistria Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and locally as Pridnestrovie, is a Landlocked country, landlocked Transnistria conflict#International recognition of Transnistria, breakaway state internationally recogn ...

was granted by

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

to the Romanian dictator

Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc� ...

for Romania’s participation in the war against the Soviet Union. Jews from Bessarabia, Bukovina and Moldova were transferred to Transnistria and many thousands were murdered from 1941 to 1944 by the Romanian Gendarmerie, the

Einsatzgruppe (, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the impl ...

D, Ukrainian police and

Sonderkommando ''Sonderkommandos'' (, ) were Extermination through labor, work units made up of Nazi Germany, German Nazi death camp prisoners. They were composed of prisoners, usually Jews, who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the di ...

R. * July 8, 1941: Jews from the towns of Lipcani and Sekiryany were sent to

. * July 11, 1941: In Lipcani- Hotin, the Military Police took 12 Jewish hostages and executed them. * July 20, 1941: The

death march A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war, other captives, or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinct from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Convention requires tha ...

of 1,200 Jews from Lipcani began. The Germans took them to

concentration camps A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploit ...

where they were never heard of again. The ones that could not make the trip on foot were shot on sight and during the trip. * July 28, 1941: All Jews from

were dispatched across the

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 ...

and several were shot en route. When they arrived in

Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...

, the Germans "selected" the old people and forced the younger ones to dig graves for them. From Mogilev the rest were turned back to Ataki and then on to Sekiryany. Hundreds died en route. For a month they stayed in the

ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...

, only to be deported again to

. All the young Jews were murdered in the forest near

Soroca Soroca is a city and municipality in northern Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District. History It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by t ...

. * October 9 and 10 (1941): Jews from

Rădăuți Rădăuți (; ; ; ; , ''Radivtsi''; ''Radevits''; ) is a town in Suceava County, north-eastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. According to the 2021 census, Rădăuți is the second largest urban settlement in the ...

were carried to their death in train wagons meant for transporting animals. These trains passed through Lipcani. There, the Germans sent one group to the Dniester through Ataki, and the other group to Mărculeşti. * 1941–1944: Around 148,000

Bessarabian Jews The history of the Jews in Bessarabia, a historical region in Eastern Europe, dates back hundreds of years. Early history Jews are mentioned from very early on in the Principality of Moldavia, but they did not represent a significant number. Th ...

were killed in

Rîbnița Rîbnița ( or , , ) or Rybnitsa (; ) is a town in the breakaway state, breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria. According to the 2004 Census in Transnistria, 2004 census, it has a population of 53,648. Rîbnița is situated in the northern half ...

and other ghettos and concentration camps on the East bank of the

during the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

occupation. During the war, the town, including almost all synagogues, was burnt down by the Germans. * 1950: Name: Lipkany, Soviet Union. * 1944: Jassy–Kishinev Offensive (August 1944). The Red Army drove the Romanian and German armies out of Bessarabia, which became an integral part of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (as of 2006, most of Bessarabia is part of the independent

Republic of Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised ...

and has been so since the dissolution of the USSR). * July 6–20, 1996: A water ecological expedition called "Prut 96", organized by the NGO called Association of Ecological Education and Information "Terra Nostra" was held down the Prut river from the village of Lipcani to the village of Sculeni in the Ungheni region. The goal of the expedition was to examine the Prut river with the participation of students and post-graduates in order to attract attention of the population and state services towards the ecological problems of the river and the whole region. * April 7, 1999: The Lipcani soccer team Venita lost to the FC Olimpia Bălți in the quarterfinals for the

Moldovan Cup Cupa Moldovei (), officially known as Cupa Orange Group, Orange for sponsorship reasons, is a association football, football competition, held annually in Moldova. The winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. Finals Th ...

1998/1999. * 2000: The Moldovan Section of the International Society for Human Rights and the NGO's Datino and Credo were working with the women's prison in

Ruska Ruska may refer to: Places Slovak villages *Ruská *Ruská Bystrá *Ruská Kajňa *Ruská Poruba *Ruská Voľa *Ruská Volová *Ruská Nová Ves Other *Rava-Ruska, a city in Ukraine *Ruska Bela, a city in Bulgaria *Ruska, a village in Seliatyn, ...

and the colony for young men in Lipcani. * March 17, 2004: According to Stela Melnic of the Ministry of Economy, the construction of a bypass road to the Lipcani-Rădăuți Bridge is going to start next autumn. Sponsored by TACIS and EU PHARE the project involves Moldova and Romania. The project will also include the modernization of the Lipcani customs checkpoint. * June 17, 2007: the candidate of PCRM Dumenco Evghenii (Eugen Dumenco) is elected as mayor of Lipcani. Dumenco Evghenii (born 1958) is an auto mechanic and president of SA "CMD-8". * February 15, 2010: Lipcani-Rădăuți Bridge reopened.

Nearby Jewish communities

, Romania: 3.6 km * Corjeuți, Moldova: 18.3 km * Darabani, Romania: 18.7 km *

Bajura Bajura District ( ), a part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Martadi (today part of Badimalika municipality) as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a population o ...

, Romania: 21.3 km *

, Moldova: 23.5 km * Gîrbeni, Romania: 23.9 km *

, Ukraine: 24.5 km * Havîrna, Romania: 24.9 km *

Grimăncăuți Grimăncăuți is a village in Briceni District, Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Rom ...

, Moldova: 25.3 km * Khotin, Ukraine: 33.1 km * Dumeni, Romania: 34.2 km * Săveni, Romania: 35.4 km * Cristineşti, Romania: 36.2 km *

, Moldova: 38.7 km * Zhvanets, Ukraine: 38.8 km * Okopy, Ukraine: 42.2 km * Kitay Gorod, Ukraine: 42.8 km * Staraya Ushitsa, Ukraine: 43 km * Gertsa, Ukraine: 43.1 km * Klishkivtsi, Ukraine: 43.9 km

Current information

* Railroad lines in Moldova run north-south from

Cahul Cahul (; also known by alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has a population of 30,0 ...

and the southern border with Ukraine to Lipcani and the northern border with Ukraine. The main road routes run from Cahul to Chişinău via Comrat and from Chişinău to Lipcani via

. * Current Institutions in Lipcani: Lipcani Pedagogical College, Lipcani Reformatory for Boys.

Books

*
Lipcan Fun Amol (Lipcan of Old)
' – Aaron Shuster, Yizkor book in Yiddish, 1957,218 Pages. Has B/W photos of the town. *
Kehilat Lipkany: Sefer Zikaron (Prayer for Lipkany): Book of Remembrance
' – Author/Editor: Zilberman-Slone, Tel Aviv 1963, 407 Pages, Languages: Hebrew & Yiddish, Published in Tel-Aviv.

Notable people

* Moyshe Altman (1890–1980),

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

prose writer, revered for his intricate style * Shaike Dan (1909–1994), one of the Jewish Parachutists of Mandate Palestine * Vasile Didic (born 1949), painter with works in several Moldovan museums * Eliezer Greenberg (1896–1977), American Yiddish poet *

Irina Lozovan Irina Lozovan (born 27 December 1983) is a Moldovan politician. She has been a member of the Parliament of Moldova since 2019. Originally a member of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM), she joined the Revival Party, affil ...

(born 1983), Moldovan politician * Fraydele Oysher (1913–2004), actress in the

Yiddish theater Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revues; melodrama; na ...

* Moishe Oysher (1907–1958), Yiddish singer and cantor * Eliezer Steinbarg (1880–1932), Yiddish poet, educator, and well-known author of

fables * Judah Steinberg (1863–1908), a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

writer * Jacob Sternberg (1890–1973), Yiddish poet and theatrical director * Alexander Grobman Tversqui (born 1927), agricultural scientist

Locations of other towns called Lipcani (or similar)

* north of Chişinău, Moldova (This town is called Lipceni and is sometimes confused with Lipcani.) * southwest of Kiev, Ukraine] This town is called Lypcany is also sometimes confused with Lipcani.

References

External links

Census records information for 1858–1859 and 1874

Massacres, deportations & death marches from Bessarabia, from July 1941

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, "People of a Thousand Towns": The Online Catalog of Photographs of Jewish Life in Prewar Eastern Europe

{{Authority control Historic Jewish communities in Moldova Cities and towns in Moldova Populated places in Bessarabia Khotinsky Uyezd Hotin County Ținutul Suceava Holocaust locations in Moldova Briceni District Populated places on the Prut Market towns in Moldavia