Grodno Governorate
About Grodno
The Grodno Governorate (Гродненская губерния) was an administrative unit in the Northwestern Krai of the Russian Empire. The 1897 census shows that 17.3% of the governorate’s residents (around 277,000 people) were Jews, with a high urban concentration: in the city of Grodno itself, Jews constituted almost half of the residents. During World War I, due to its strategic location, Grodno became a battleground. In September 1915, it was conquered by Germany and became part of the “Ober Ost” administration. For the Jewish community, the war was a catastrophe, as the retreating Russian army deported masses of Jews from the frontline areas deep into Russia and destroyed entire communities.
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After the war, the region became a battlefield in the Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921). Grodno passed from hand to hand, and the Jewish community found itself in a difficult situation: the Poles accused it of communism, and the Soviets suppressed it as a “bourgeois element.”
The Treaty of Riga (1921) annexed most of the governorate’s territory to the Second Polish Republic. Under Polish rule, the Jewish community faced economic difficulties due to its disconnection from markets in the east and government policies. Despite this, communal and political life was vibrant. The “Sha’ar HaTorah” Yeshiva, headed by Rabbi Shimon Shkop, operated in the city, and extensive Zionist activity took place, as graduates of the “Hashomer Hatzair” movement founded Kibbutz Ein Shemer in Palestine.
Grodno Province – back view of a card from the geographic card set illustrating all provinces of the Russian Empire as it existed in 1856. Each card presents an overview of a particular province’s culture, history, economy, and geography. Grodnenskai︠a︡ gubernii︠a︡ (Grodno Province) depicted on this card corresponds to part of present-day Belarus. It contains a map of the province, the provincial seal, information about the population, and a picture of the local costume of the inhabitants. For the front view of the card and more information visit the Library of Congress Online Catalog
