1921 Urga pogrom

1921 massacre of Jews in Mongolia (Urga pogrom)
Part of the Russian Civil War and the Mongolian Revolution of 1921
Location	Urga, Mongolia
Date	Early 1921 (particularly February–June 1921)
Target	Jewish residents of Urga (modern-day Ulaanbaatar)—primarily Russian-Jewish refugees who had fled the Russian Civil War
Attack type	Armed massacre, pogrom, ethnic violence
Weapons	Firearms, torture, mutilation
Deaths	At least around 50 Jews; possibly the entire community of several dozen to several hundred were killed
Injured	Unknown
Perpetrators	Forces under the command of Russian White warlord Baron Roman von Ungern‑Sternberg, executed by captains like Feodoroff or Sipailov

The Urga pogrom occurred in early 1921, during the final stages of the Russian Civil War, while Urga (present-day Ulaanbaatar) was occupied by forces loyal to Russian White Army warlord Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg. Members of the local Jewish community were massacred by his troops. The victims were primarily Russian-Jewish refugees who had fled the Russian Civil War. Acting on Ungern-Sternberg's antisemitic directives, his officers—most notably Captains Feodoroff and Sipailov—carried out arrests, torture, and executions. Estimates of the number killed vary, but many sources state that the entire Jewish population of the city, numbering several dozen to several hundred, was exterminated during the pogrom.

Background

In the early 20th century, a small number of Jews—primarily Russian refugees—settled in Urga, fleeing the civil war and antisemitic violence in the collapsing Russian Empire. ^[1] At the time, Mongolia was undergoing significant political upheaval, caught between competing Chinese, Russian, and Mongolian factions.

In February 1921, Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg seized control of Urga with his Asiatic Cavalry Division. A staunch monarchist and outspoken antisemite, Ungern believed that Jews were aligned with Bolshevism and were a threat to his vision of a monarchist revival in Asia. ^[2]

Massacre

Shortly after occupying Urga, Ungern reportedly issued an order for the execution of "all Jews, Bolsheviks, and Chinese soldiers." ^[2] His subordinates, including Captain Feodorov, carried out the killings. According to accounts, Jewish residents were hunted down, tortured, and executed. Some were killed in their homes; others were raped or mutilated before being murdered. ^[3]

References

1. "Mongolia". Jewish Virtual Library . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
2. Freund, Michael (13 June 2021). "The forgotten pogrom of Mongolia's Jews". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
3. Freund, Michael. "The 1921 Mongolian Pogrom of the Jews". Michael Freund. Retrieved 6 September 2025.