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Petrovichi
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The known history of the Mikhlin family, descendants of cantor Abram Mikhlin (1850?-1919), starts in the village town of Petrovichi in the 1920s; the first years of Soviet Russia following the Revolution.
Before 1929, the village was part of the Mogilev gubernia (then oblast) in Belarus, and afterwards, it became a part of the Smolensk oblast in Russia.
Mikhlins also lived in the surrounding towns Klimovichi, Khislavichi, Roslavl', Shumyachi, Krichev and Mstislavl'
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Surprisingly, internet search results find the name of Petrovichi quite often. This is due to the single fact that Petrovichi is the birthplace
of the famous American science fiction writer Isaac Azimov (1920-1992).
Mikhlin family is also connected to him via the marriage of the oldest daughter of cantor Golda (Mikhlin) Azimov (1868-1942) to Chaim Azimov, first cousin of Juda
Azimov, father of Isaac Azimov (see further below about Isaac).
In addition, the well-versed history of the village in 1920s-1940s can be found in the multi-volume book called "Crossroads" [Перекрёстки] published in Smolensk in the 1990s by the Maksimchuk family [1]
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They traveled to many villages around Smolensk Oblast, including Petrovichi, to take interviews and collect oral history.
Our early family researcher, Raisa Chernetsova (b. 1915), granddaughter of Cantor Abram Mikhlin, also submitted her article to this book.
Based on the findings with "Crossroads", at the turn of 20th century, Petrovichi became a rather big town, with its own Russian school, hospital, post office, Russian Orthodox Church, Catholic Church and 2 synagogues.
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The place where Isaac Azimov home stood, Petrovichi, 1998
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The population of two thousand people was rather ethnically diverse, comprising Jews, Poles, Ukrainians, and Russians. Jews made up about 50% of the population.
According to a census, in 1926 there were 925 Jews in the village.
During 1920-1930s, churches were demolished and synagogues were closed further diminishing
the importance of the village. |
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Petrovichi's massacre memorial
Petrovichi's massacre memorial
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In the 1920’s, some wealthy were forced into exile and jail in some cases (see chapter about Iehiel Michel Mikhlin, cantor’s son). In addition, every household was forced to join a local collective farm.
On August 2, 1941, Nazi Germans invaded Petrovichi and forced all the Jews into ghetto; and on July 22, 1942, all 400 remaining Jews were shot in the local woods. Several family members of Shlema Mikhlin’s household, the son of the cantor, were amongst those who were killed.
Petrovichi never fully recovered after the war. Our early family researcher, Raisa Chernetsova (b. 1915), granddaughter of the cantor, visited Petrovichi in 1959. She found only one Jewish family still living there.
In 2007, the population of Petrovichi included 265 people. All things considered, this is a reasonable number of inhabitants given that the surrounding area is in a deep economic recession and neighboring villages in Kosachevka and Kostyukovka are being abandoned [2].
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There are still some documents in the State Archival Service of the Republic of Belarus that are waiting to be researched. They would definitely help to trace the history of Mikhlins before 1917. The list below is taken from the family site of relatives of Isaac Azimov (1920-1992)[3]:
- 1834 Census Petrovichi, Klimovichi, Mogilev, Belarus
- 1850 Census Petrovichi, Klimovichi, Mogilev, Belarus
- 1858 Census Petrovichi, Klimovichi, Mogilev, Belarus
- 1852 Miscellaneous Records
- List of melameds (teachers) and their students in Petrovichi in 1863
- List of melameds (teachers) and their students in Petrovichi in 1864
- List of melameds (teachers) and their students in Petrovichi in 1865
- Tax and Insurance Records for 1893
- Tax and Insurance Records for 1895
- Property Tax Records for 1899 – 1902
- List of the Tax Exempt for 1911
- Petrovichi Tax Payers List for 1911
- Petrovichi Tax Payers List for 1912
- Klimovichi Tax Payers List for 1917
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[1]. Smolensk area history site
[2]. The Ageev Family web site - descendants of the people from Petrovichi area
[3]. The Byrne Family Website - American descendants of the Azimovs
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