Vasilishki - today a small village in the Shchuchin region (32 km from Shchuchin), the center of selsovet (village council). 2678 inhabitants (1992).

Vasilishki are mentioned since the first half of the 15th century. In 1486 - a small town (mestechko) of the Lida povet. At one time(the beginning of the 18th century) Vasilishki were a residence of Polish king and Lithuanian duke Stanislau Liashchynski. During the second part of the 18th century famous vayavoda of Vilna Michal Aginski was a starosta (the ruler) of Vasilishki. After Russian occupation of Belarus Vasilishki became the center of Lida povet volast (1795).

As I think, Jews lived in Vasilishki since 16th or 17th century.

Acoording to the revison of 1847 the jewish community of Vasilishlki was 719 persons. The results of the 1897 sensus in Vasilishki are 2780 inhabitants (2081 of them are Jews). In 1909 in Vasilishki was open a men`s Private Jewish school. Also, of course, Jewish community of this place had a synagogue.

Since 1921 - Vasilishki - is a part of Polish state, 1939- part of Belarussian Soviet Republic. In june 1941 Vasilishki were occupied by Nazi Germany. Here Germans organized a ghetto and on the 10-11th of May 1942 destroyed it. 2159 jews were killed. It was the end of Vasilishki existance as a Jewish place.

 

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