Balyn Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. According to the dates on the preserved gravestones, it can be assumed that the cemetery emerged in the early 18th century. First, the place was marked on a Russian map of 1900.

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. The oldest preserved gravestone relates to the second half of the 18th century, so it can be assumed that the cemetery emerged during that period. According to epigraphic data, the cemetery was operational until the late Soviet period. First, it appears on Russian maps in the 1920s. Later it was marked on Polish maps of 1939.

The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul was built in the 16th century in the Renaissance style and was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1646-1648. In 1672, during the Turkish occupation of these lands, the church was transformed into a mosque and a minaret was built. After the recapture of Kamenets by Poland on 23 September 1699, the minaret was not destroyed, as stipulated in the Treaty of Karlovice of 26 January 1699. In order to preserve the provisions of the treaty and, at the same time, to remove the symbol of Ottoman rule, a statue of the Virgin Mary imported from Gdansk was placed on the minaret on 10 May 1756.