Situated on the Horyn River in western Ukraine, the city dates back to the 11th century.

It was a private town in Poland, owned by the Zasławski and Sanguszko families.

After the Partitions of Poland Iziaslav was part of the Russian Empire – Volhynian Governorate.

At the beginning of World War II, the town had a Jewish population representing 28% of the inhabitants.

[5] As soon as the Germans occupied the town, Jews were kept imprisoned in a ghetto and were later murdered in mass executions perpetrated by Einsatzgruppen.