Grand Choral Synagogue

 synagogue, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, 1893_construction

The Grand Choral Synagogue of Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербургская Большая Хоральная Синагога, tr. Sankt-Peterburgskaya Bolshaya Khoralnaya Sinagoga; Hebrew: בית הכנסת הכוראלי הגדול (סנקט פטרבורג)) is the third-largest synagogue in Europe. Other names include The Great Choral Synagogue of Saint Petersburg and (since 2000) The Edmond J Safra Grand Choral Synagogue. Sometimes it is simply referred to as the Saint Petersburg Synagogue or Bolshaya Sinagoga. It was built between 1880 and 1888, and consecrated in December 1893. The Chief Rabbi of Saint Petersburg is Menachem Mendel Pewzner. Today the synagogue is a registered landmark and an architectural monument of federal importance.

After the 5 million dollar donation by the Safra family in 1999, the reconstruction of the Grand Choral Synagogue of St. Petersburg was made between 2000 and 2005. Upon conditions of the donation the St. Petersburg Synagogue was renamed The Edmond J Safra Grand Choral Synagogue, although the community still calls it in Russian Bolshaya Sinagoga.

In 2005 a new Mikvah was built from a design by Israeli architect M. Gorelik. The new Mikvah in the Grand Choral Synagogue was inaugurated on April 19, 2005.