Talachyn or Tolochin is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Talachyn District. As of 2024, it has a population of 9,666.

History

The town was first mentioned in 1433. The village was a shtetl. In 1939, 1,292 Jews lived there, making up 21.2 percent of the total population of the town.

World War II

The town was under German military occupation from 6–7 July 1941 until 1944. The Germans established a ghetto in September or October 1941, which consisted of 15 houses and had 2,000 inmates. The ghetto was liquidated on 12 or 13 March 1942 and its inmates were killed. The Germans killed more than 2,000 Jews, according to estimates made by the Soviet Extraordinary State Commission. However, this figure is disputed, due to the pre-war Jewish population being significantly lower, and some Jews having been drafted or able to flee. The Einsatzkommando reported that it had killed 1,551 Jews in March, presumably in the entire district. A memorial has been erected to remember the fate of the victims.

Notable structures

Notable people

Sources