Moscow Choral Synagogue (Moscow)

Russia / Moscow / Moscow / Bolshoy Spasoglinishchevsky pereulok, 10
 synagogue, interesting place, object of cultural heritage of regional importance (Russia), 1890s construction
The Moscow Choral Synagogue is the main synagogue in Russia and in the former Soviet Union. It is located in central Basmanny District at 12, Bolshoy Spasogolinischevsky Lane, close to Kitai-Gorod Metro station.

The synagogue is located close to the former Jewish settlement in Zaryadye. The draft by Eybuschitz was approved in July, 1886 and construction began on May 28, 1887. In 1888 But the builders were directed to remove the completed dome in 1888.and again in 1892 they were directed to sell the unfinished building or convert it into a charity.

During the Russian Revolution of 1905, the government was forced to lift all bans on worship, so Jews, Old Believers, and other minority faith groups were free to build their places of worship anywhere. Architect Roman Klein was hired after Eibuschitz's death to finish the construction. The synagogue opened in 1906. It operated throughout the Soviet period, although authorities had annexed some parts of the original building for secular purposes between 1923 and 1960. It is also known for the famous choir of Michael Turetsky.
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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_Choral_Synagogue
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Coordinates:   55°45'19"N   37°38'6"E

Comments

  • The story is told that the dome was removed because on passing the synagogue and seeing the dome, then Moscow General-Governor, Prince Sergei Aleksandrovich Romanov crossed himself thinking that the dome was a Russian Orthodox church. Subsequently thousands of Jews were evicted from the city between 1892 and 1897, and the Jewish population of Moscow dwindled from 26,000 to 5,000. In Mayor 2001 Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov attended the ceremony marking the restoration of the dome and gilded Star of David.
This article was last modified 13 years ago