Restoration of the facade and roof of the monumental Great Choral Synagogue in St. Petersburg has begun. Scaffolding began to go up in June, and work should be finished in 2027.
The work will entail restoration of the synagogue’s distinctive lofty dome and metalwork, its roof covering, granite and limestone plinth, granite porch, plaster surfaces, brickwork, stucco decoration, and columns of the entrance portal, as well as the wood and metal trusses, the city said in a statement in July.
“The Great Choral Synagogue is an outstanding architectural monument and a spiritual center, where centuries-old traditions are carefully preserved, prayers are performed and generations are united,” Governor Alexander Beglov said in the statement. The restoration, he said
guarantees the preservation of the Jewish community’s home and the continuation of their spiritual life. For all of St. Petersburg, the restoration of one of its most striking religious buildings will be our contribution to preserving the cultural and spiritual diversity of the Northern Capital.
The towering synagogue was consecrated in 1893 and designed by architects Ivan Shaposhnikov, Lev Bakhman, and Alexei Malov in a style that melds Moorish and Byzantine elements. The main synagogue of the Russian empire, it served as a model for many other synagogues. Today it is the main hub of Jewish life in the city and is protected as an object of cultural heritage of federal significance.
The current restoration work is being carried out under the program of the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Government of St. Petersburg.
The state news agency TASS noted that other restoration has taken place over the past decades.
“During World War II, the synagogue was hit by a shell, necessitating restoration after the war,” it said.
In the 1970s, the synagogue lost its original polychrome facade. Prior to the XXII Summer Olympics in 1980, it was designated a tourist attraction, and renovations were carried out in 1978. The fence was restored in 2004-2005, and the synagogue’s furniture and window fittings were restored in 2013. From 2010 to 2015, the facades and interiors of the Small Synagogue, which is part of the Great Synagogue, were restored.
Read the report on the state News Agency TASS
See the history of the synagogue on the Jewish community web site