Bykhaw


Bykhaw or Bykhov is a town in the eastern Belarusian Mogilev Region. It is located 44 km south of Mogilev, and is the administrative center of the Bykhaw District. As of 2009, its population was 17,031.

History

In the early modern times Bykhaw was an important fortress known for hard battles.
Bykhaw is known for its 17th-century synagogue. During World War II, Bychaw was occupied by the German Army from 5 July 1941 until 28 June 1944 and placed under the administration of the Generalbezirk Weißruthenien of Reichskommissariat Ostland. The Jews of Bykhov were killed in two mass shootings in September and November 1941. According to the German and Soviet archives, there were 4600 Jews from Bykhaw who were shot in Voronino.
There is a military airfield nearby, called Bykhov-1.