More than 35 thousand pilgrims arrived in Uman (Cherkasy region) to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, and no emergencies occurred, said Ivan Vygovsky, head of the National Police of Ukraine.
“Despite the increased risks and the large number of arrivals, law enforcement officers are keeping the situation under control, no emergencies have occurred,” Vygovsky said in a statement on the National Police telegram channel following his visit to Uman.
As noted, the police are working in an enhanced mode, three filtration points with baggage scanners, stationary posts, a visa support point, control and inspection groups have been organized, and the number of investigative teams has been increased.
A coordination headquarters consisting of representatives of the National Police, the National Guard, the State Emergency Service, the State Migration Service and other services is working around the clock.
“Police officers from the State of Israel are also on duty with our police officers, who arrived to strengthen security measures and help tourists,” the National Police said.
In 2023, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) is celebrated from September 15 to 17.
More than 30 thousand pilgrims are expected to arrive in Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which corresponds to the average rate of visitation in the period before the coronavirus pandemic and in peacetime, said the first deputy mayor of Uman Oleg Ganich.
“Travel agencies have already sold more than 30 thousand tickets for flights and to places of pilgrimage to Uman. Therefore, we expect more than 30 thousand pilgrims. This is the number of pilgrims who came to us before the coronavirus and in times of peace, when there was no war,” he said on the air of the national telethon on Wednesday.
At the same time, Ganich noted that the pilgrims are not stopped by warnings of danger from either the Israeli authorities or the Ukrainian authorities. “They believe that meeting the new year at the tomb of Tzadik Nachman guarantees them a happy, kind, cheerful and bountiful year,” he said
Last year, according to official figures, 23,000 pilgrims were registered, Ganich recalled. He noted that the official figures did not differ significantly from the actual figures – “200-300-500 people at most.”
In 2023, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) will be celebrated from September 15 to 17.
Nearly 25,000 Hasidim arrived to Ukraine to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) 5780, which is celebrated from September 29 through the evening of October 1 this year, according the Jewish calendar.
As a press service of the State Border Guard Service reported on Saturday, for the last 24 hours border guards registered arrival of 5,687 Hasidic pilgrims, who were seeking for entry to Ukraine.
Overall, border guards at the checkpoints in Kyiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia and on the borders with Poland, Slovakia and Romania have already documented the arrival of 24,782 pilgrims in the prescribed manner.
Since the beginning of the arrival of Hasidim from September 6, State Border Service officials refused entry to eight Israeli citizens due to the lack of necessary documents and a ban on entry to Ukraine during a previous visit.
