Yelsk (Belarusian: Ельск, romanized: Jeĺsk; Russian: Ельск; Polish: Jelsk; Lithuanian: Jelskas) is a town in Gomel Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Yelsk District. As of 2024, it has a population of 8,724.

Yelsk was greatly affected by radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

History

The city was occupied by German troops during summer 1941. The local Jews of Yelsk were gathered and deported towards Kalinkovichi and Mozyr. Approximately two weeks after the departure of the Jews of Yelsk, the Jews of the nearby Jewish village of Skorodnoye were brought in and locked inside a building. Then, the Germans set fire to the building all the Jews were burned alive.