The renovation of the century-old synagogue in Alytus, Lithuania, begun last September, is moving forward.
According to the web site of the Alytus municipality, the owner and managing organization of the building, last year the roof and part of the interior of the building were restored, and this year so far about half of the work has been completed on the restoration of the exterior facades, the original windows of the women’s gallery have been uncovered, and other interior work has gone on.
The restoration of the entire facade and windows, as well as work on the floor and foundations are expected to be completed this year, with all the work finalized and the building opened as a cultural and educational space — including a Jewish museum — in 2019.
Funding for the project has come from the Municipality and Lithuania’s Cultural Heritage Department.
The synagogue, mainly constructed of yellow brick with red brick trim and other decoration, was built in 1911 after fire ravaged the town. During the Soviet era, it was used as a warehouse for salt and then left empty. Some of the interior decoration has survived, including polychrome paintings in the main sanctuary.
Click here to see the story on the municipality web site — with pictures