Lipcani is a small town in
MoldovaMoldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south....
, located on the banks of the Prut river, which forms the border with Romania. The border with
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
is also only a few kilometers to the north. Lipcani is located in the
BessarabiaBessarabia is a historical term for the geographic entity in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west...
region. The closest large urban centres are
ChernivtsiChernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in western Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of historic region of Bukovina, which currently is divided between Romania and Ukraine. As of the 2001...
in
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
,
SuceavaSuceava is the capital city of the Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania.-Geography:The city covers two types of geographical areas - the hills and the meadows of the Suceava River valley. The unusual configuration of Suceava City includes two groves - Zamca and Şipote - which are both...
in
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
, and
BălţiBalti can refer to:* Balti language, a language spoken in Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir* Balti people, Muslims of Ladakhi/Tibetan origin from Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir...
in
MoldovaMoldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south....
. Lipcani is about 40 km from the city of
KhotynKhotyn is a city in Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine, and is the administrative center of the Khotynskyi Raion within the oblast, and is located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, it has a population of 11,124...
. The town is crossed by small river called Medvedca.
Because of misspelling or translation difficulties, it is also referred to as: Lipcan, Lipcany, Lipkan, Lipkani, Lipchen, Lipcheny, Lipcheni, Lipcani Targ, Lipceni, Lipchany, Lypchany, Lipchani, Lipkamya, Lepkan, Lepkany, Lepkani, Lepcan, Lepcany, Lepcani, Linkani, Liptchani, Lipkane, Lipkon and Lipcon.
Timeline
- 1699: Some of the Kamieniec
Kamianets-Podilskyi is a city located on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi...
Lipka TatarsThe Lipka Tatars are a group of Tatars who originally settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the beginning of 14th century. The first settlers tried to preserve their shamanistic religion and sought asylum amongst the non-Christian Lithuanians....
who remained loyal to the OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
SultanSultan is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Originally it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", or "rulership", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power"...
after fighting for him were settled in a town in Bessarabia that became known as Lipcani.
- 1812: Lipcani and the rest of Bessarabia became part of Russia.
- 1904: By this year, there was already a railroad connecting Lipcani with Novoselitsy
Novoselytsia or Suliţa Nouă is a city in Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine. Population is 8,400 ....
.
- 1905: Various parts of Bessarabia were subject to anti-Jewish pogroms.
- 1916: Romania entered WWI on the side of the Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the loose alignment between the United Kingdom, France, and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907...
against Austria-Hungary & Germany.
- March 2 1918: The 2nd Cavalry Division of the Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy . It was composed of the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .Most of Hungarian cavalry, infantry and artillery troops...
, who was originally subordinate to the Kosak Group and then to the 17th Army Corps and to the Ostarmee, took Lipcani and LargaLarga may refer to several villages in Romania:* Larga, a village in Dofteana Commune, Bacău County* Larga, a village in Samarineşti Commune, Gorj County* Larga, a village in Suciu de Sus Commune, Maramureş County...
. They later moved to OdessaOdessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .Odessa was founded by Hacı I Giray, the Khan of Crimea, in 1240...
.
- April 9, 1918: Bessarabia was still part of the Russian Empire, but after the Russian Revolution it declared itself an independent republic. The regional National Council
-Conservation:* National Council for Science and the Environment, a US-based non-profit organization which has a mission to improve the scientific basis for environmental decisionmaking...
(Sfatul ŢăriiSfatul Ţării was in 1917-1918 the National Assembly of the Governorate of Bessarabia of the disintegrating Russian Empire, which proclaimed the independent Moldavian Democratic Republic in December 1917, and then union with Romania in April 1918.-Russian participation in World War I:In August...
) decided upon union with RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
on this date (old style: March 27).
- August 11 1918 The 187th Brigade
A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army. Usually, a brigade is a sub-component of a division, a larger unit consisting of two or more brigades; however, some brigades are classified as a...
of the Austro-Hungarian Army moved from Czernowitz, via Novoselitsy, to Lipcani, where they stayed until August 15.
- August 16, 1924: Along the forest of Zelena (15 mi from Hotin), a couple of Romanian gendarmes
Jandarmeria Română is the military branch of the two Romanian police forces .The gendarmerie is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform and does not have responsibility for policing the Romanian Armed Forces...
who were taking two terrorists whom they had just arrested to Lipcani, were attacked by a RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n squadIn military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
who killed one gendarme and went off with the terrorists.
- End of the 1930s: Lipcani was a small provincial town, populated mainly by Jews, who mostly lived in the central part of the town. There were about ten synagogues in Lipcani. There was a different synagogue for each guild: tailors, shoemakers, cabmen, etc. "Guild" synagogues were located in neighborhoods in the outskirts of town. Richer Jews had big synagogues in the center of town. There were 4,698 Jews on the eve of WWII.
- August 2, 1940: The Moldavian SSR
- Businesses, entertainment and products:* SSR Personnel Services Limited, the largest global Security recruitment consultancy* Solid State Records* Chevrolet SSR, a Chevrolet small truck* Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa* Opera's technology...
was formed, which included Bessarabia without its Southern part. Territories given to UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
initially included EdineţEdineţ is a city in the north of Moldova. It is the administrative center of the eponymous district. The city is located 201 km north of the national capital, Chişinău. It is located at . The city administers also two suburban villages, Alexăndreni and Gordineştii Noi...
, BriceniBriceni is a city in northern Moldova. It is the seat of Briceni District.At the 2004 census, the city had a population of 8,765...
, Lipcani and OcniţaOcniţa is a city and the administrative center of Ocniţa District, Moldova....
. When the Soviets came, Lipcani was a town near the border. It belonged to the USSR and the area beyond the town was Romania.
- November 4, 1940: The borders were changed by the decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
of the SS of USSR.
- Sometime by the end of 1940: The Red Army
The Red Army The Red Army The Red Army was the Soviet government’s revolutionary militia beginning in the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the USSR. Since 1946, after the Second World War, it was called the Soviet Army.The 'Red...
entered Lipcani, declaring it part of the Soviet Union. Many Romanians escaped to Romania and left all their belongings behind. The Soviet authorities arrested all kulaks, executed some and sent the rest to Siberia. Since the Communist system promoted atheism, the authorities began to fight religion by closing synagogues, churches and cheders.
- June 22 1941: The Germans invaded the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a 2,900 km front...
and opened fire on Lipcani. There was a commandant office and a frontier regiment in Lipcani that set up a defensive position.
- July 1941: The Germans captured Bessarabia, and the 16,000 sq. mile area of Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
named TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
was granted by Hitler to the Romanian dictator Ion AntonescuIon Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
for Romania’s participation in the war against the Soviet Union. Jews from Bessarabia, Bukovina and Moldova were transferred to Transnistria and many thousands were murdered from 1941 to 1944 by the Romanian GendarmerieJandarmeria Română is the military branch of the two Romanian police forces .The gendarmerie is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform and does not have responsibility for policing the Romanian Armed Forces...
, the Einsatzgruppe D, Ukrainian police and SonderkommandoSonderkommandos were work units of Nazi death camp prisoners who aided with the killing process during The Holocaust. The death-camp Sonderkommando consisted almost entirely of Jews, and should not be confused with the SS-Sonderkommandos which were ad hoc units formed from various SS offices...
R.
- July 8 1941: Jews from the towns of Lipcani and Sekiryany
Sokyriany is a city in Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine, Northern Bessarabia. Population is 10,258 .-External links:*...
were sent to BriceniBriceni is a city in northern Moldova. It is the seat of Briceni District.At the 2004 census, the city had a population of 8,765...
.
- July 11 1941: In Lipcani-Hotin, the Military Police took 12 Jewish hostages and executed them.
- 20 July 1941: The death march
A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees when they walk over long distances and for an extremely long period of time, being supplied with little or no food and water. The result is that the weakest of them die primarily due to exhaustion and dehydration...
of 1,200 Jews from Lipcani began. The Germans took them to concentration camps where they were never heard of again. The ones that could not make the trip on foot were shot on sight and during the trip.
- July 28 1941: All Jews from Briceni
Briceni is a city in northern Moldova. It is the seat of Briceni District.At the 2004 census, the city had a population of 8,765...
were dispatched across the Dniester and several were shot en route. When they arrived in MogilevMogilev is a city in eastern Belarus, about 76 km from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and 105 km from the border with Russia's Bryansk Oblast. It has more than 367,788 inhabitants...
, the Germans "selected" the old people and forced the younger ones to digDig may refer to:* Dig , a 1951 jazz album by Miles Davis* Dig , a 1992 album by alternative rock band Adam Again** "Dig," a 1992 song by Adam Again, from the album of the same name...
gravesGraves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...
for them. From Mogilev the rest were turned back to AtakiOtaci is a town on the right bank of the Dniester River, which at that point forms the northeastern border of Moldova....
and then on to Sekiryany. Hundreds died en route. For a month they stayed in the ghetto, only to be deported again to TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
. All the young Jews were murdered in the forest near SorocaSoroca is a Moldovan city situated on the Dniester River about 160 km north of Chişinău. It is the administrative center of Soroca District.- History :The city has its origin in the medieval Genoese trade post of Olchionia, or Alchona...
.
- October 9 and October 10 (1941): Jews from Rădăuţi
Rădăuţi is a municipality in Suceava County, Romania with a population of 27,759 inhabitants.-Geography:...
were carried to their death in train wagons meant for transporting animals. These trains passed through Lipcani. There, the Germans sent one group to the Dniester through Ataki, and the other group to MărculeştiMărculeşti is a city in Floreşti district, in the northern Moldova, with a population of 2,081 at the 2004 census....
.
- 1941–1944: Around 148,000 Bessarabian Jews were killed in Rîbniţa
Rîbniţa, also spelled Râbniţa is a city in Transnistria, Moldova. According to the 2004 Census in Transnistria, it has a population of 53,648. Rîbniţa is situated in the northern half of Transnistria, on the left bank of the Dniester, and separated from the river by a concrete dam...
and other ghettos and concentration camps on the East bank of the DniesterThe Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe.-Geography:The Dniester rises in Ukraine, near the city of Drohobych, close to the border with Poland, and flows toward the Black Sea. Its course marks part of the border of Ukraine and Moldova, after which it flows through Moldova for , separating the...
during the NaziNazism, known officially in German as National Socialism , is the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party under Adolf Hitler, and the policies adopted by the dictatorial government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.Nazism is often considered...
occupation. During the war, the town, including almost all synagogues, was burnt down by the Germans.
- 1944: The Red Army drove the Romanian and German armies out of Bessarabia, which became an integral part of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (as of 2006, most of Bessarabia is part of the independent Republic of Moldova and has been so since the dissolution of the USSR).
- July 6-20, 1996: A water ecological expedition called "Prut 96", organized by the NGO called Association of Ecological Education and Information "Terra Nostra" was held down the Prut river from the village of Lipcani to the village of Sculeni in the Ungheni
Ungheni is the seventh largest city in Moldova and, since 2003, the seat of Ungheni District.There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border town with the same name in Romania, on the other side of the Prut River.The first historical mention of Ungheni...
region. The goal of the expedition was to examine the Prut river with the participation of students and post-graduates in order to attract attention of the population and state services towards the ecological problems of the river and the whole region.
- April 7, 1999: The Lipcani soccer team Venita lost to the Bălţi
Balti can refer to:* Balti language, a language spoken in Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir* Balti people, Muslims of Ladakhi/Tibetan origin from Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir...
Team Olimpia in the quarterfinals for the Moldova cup 1998/1999.
- 2000: The Moldovan Section of the International Society for Human Rights and the NGO's Datino and Credo were working with the women's prison in Ruska
-People:*Ernst Ruska, German physicist*Julius Ruska, German orientalist, historian of science and educator*Helmut Ruska, German physician and biologist*Wim Ruska, retired Judoka-Slovakian villages:*Ruská*Ruská Bystrá*Ruská Kajňa*Ruská Poruba*Ruská Voľa...
and the colony for young men in Lipcani.
- March 17, 2004: According to Stela Melnic of the MOE, the construction of a 1.5 km bypass road to the Rădăuţi-Lipcani Bridge is going to start next autumn. Sponsored by TACIS and EU PHARE the project involves Moldova and Romania. The project will also include the modernization of the Lipcani customs checkpoint.
Current Information
- Railroad lines in Moldova run north-south from Cahul and the southern border with Ukraine to Lipcani and the northern border with Ukraine. The main road routes run from Cahul to Chişinău via Comrat and from Chişinău to Lipcani via Bǎlţi.
- Current Institutions in Lipcani: Lipcani Pedagogical College, Lipcani Reformatory for Boys.
Books
Famous people born in Lipcani
- Alexander Grobman Tversqui Born 1927. Agricultural scientist.
- Moishe Oysher
Moishe Oysher . He is considered one of the most entertaining chazanim ever recorded. It is said that there were chazanim in his family going back six generations.In 1921, he traveled to Canada with his family and joined a traveling Yiddish theatrical company. In 1932...
(1907–1958) - Yiddish singer and cantor.
- Freydele Oysher (1913–2004) - actress in the Yiddish theater.
- Moyshe Altman
Moyshe Altman was a Yiddish writer.-Works:* בלענדעניש , publisher: Kultur; Chernivtsi, 1926....
(1890–1980) - Yiddish prose writer, revered for his intricate style.
- Yankev Shternberg
Yankev Shternberg was a Yiddish theater director, teacher of theater, playwright, avant-garde poet and short-story writer, best known for his theater work in Romania between the two world wars.Shternberg grew up in the northern Bessarabian shtetl of...
(1890–1973) - Yiddish poet and theatrical director.
- Eliezer Shteynbarg (1880–1932) - Yiddish poet, educator, and well-known author of Yiddish fables.
- Judah Steinberg (1863–1908) - a Hebrew writer.
- Didic Vasile Born 1949. Painter with works in several Moldovan museums.
- Samuel Goldstein Born 1930. Paranormal investigator.
Locations of other towns called Lipcani (or similar)
N of Chişinău, Moldova (This town is called Lipceni and is sometimes confused with Lipcani.) SW of Kiev, Ukraine] This town is called Lypcany is also sometimes confused with Lipcani.
External links