BUDA-KOSHELEVO

1938–1941: Buda-Koshelevo, town and raion center, Gomel’ oblast’, Belorussian SSR; 1941–1944: Buda-Koschelewo, Rear Area, Army Group Center (rückwärtiges Heeresgebiet Mitte); post-1991: Buda-Kashaleva, raen center, Homel’ voblasts’, Republic of Belarus Buda-Koshelevo is located 48 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Gomel’. A Jewish kolkhoz with 11 families was established there in 1924. From 1925 to 1928, three more kolkhozy were created on the outskirts of the township. Their population consisted of 49 Jewish families. The 1939 census showed that there were 496 Jews living in Buda-Koshelevo (14.7 percent of the total population). Towards the end of June 1941, war refugees from western Belorussia began to arrive, and their numbers quickly swelled. The Red Army called up able-bodied men, forming a combat battalion of 310 soldiers under the command of Dovolev to defend the town and deal with deserters.1 The population largely believed Soviet propaganda asserting that the Red Army’s se...