Mezhirichi (; ) is a village in western
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 ...
, in the
Rivne Raion of
Rivne Oblast, but was formerly administered within the
Korets Raion. It is located west of
Korets and east of
Rivne. Local government is administered by Velykomezhyritska village council.
Names
Mezhirichi is also known as , , .
Jewish life in Mezhirichi
Undoubtedly the most significant event in the Jewish community of Mezhirichi was the arrival there of the
Maggid, Rabbi
Dov Ber. After the death of the founder of
Hasidism, the
Baal Shem Tov, in 1761, Rabbi Dov Ber became the next leader of the movement. He moved to
Rivne, and later to Mezhrichi, where he remained for the rest of his life. Mezhrichi rapidly became a magnet and place of pilgrimage for the chasidim. The location of Mezhrichi, nearer to Poland and White Russia than the Baal Shem Tov's seat in
Medzhybizh, acted as a spur to the fledgling chasidic movement.
There is a
Yizkor book memorializing the Jewish community that lived in the town prior to
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 ...
.
History and attractions
The first written record of the village dates from 1544. However, archaeologists found in the area a settlement of
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
and the
Roman coins of II century AD.
The
Magdeburg rights were provided for the village Mezhyrichi by the
King of Poland
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...
Sigismund III Vasa in 1605. And in 1702 the owner of the village, Jerzy Lubomirski, started to build a stone church of St. Anthony in the village, which took 25 years to erect. The church was built on the place of an old wooden church, which had been erected by means of by
Konstantine Ostrogski and which burned down in 1601.
Monuments of architecture national importance in the Rivne region is the stone church of St. Anthony (N - 1503 0) and Peter and Paul Church (wooden) (N – 1505 0) in the village Velyki Mezhyrichi.
[ Пам'ятки архітектури національного значення Рівненської області
]
Gallery
File:Церква свв. Петра і Павла.jpg, Peter and Paul Church (wooden) in the village Velyki Mezhyrichi.
File:Velyki-Mezhyrichi.jpg, Church of St.Anthony in the village Velyki Mezhyrichi.
Notable people from Mezhirichi
*
Dov Ber of Mezeritch, rabbi
*Isaak Ozer Löwenstein, rabbi whose daughter Lina married Edward Eliasz Luxenburg and gave birth to Polish revolutionary socialist
Róża Luksemburg.
*
Sholom Shachne of Prohobisht (birthplace)
References
External links
Великі Межерічі
weather.in.ua/Velyki Mezhyrichi (Rivne region)Velykomezhyritska village councilСело Великі Межирічі: карта вулиць
Jews in Eastern Europe/Mezhyrichi
Villages in Rivne Raion
Jewish Ukrainian history
{{Rivne-geo-stub