Changes…
Back in 2017, we posted an essay by Sergey R. Kravstov and Vladimir Levin of the Center for Jewish Art wondering whether the hulking ruins of the 18th century great synagogue in Raşcov (Rashkov) would or could be conserved.
The answer over the years has been “Yes” — and we have chronicled how the majestic ruins have been preserved, thanks to conservation work supported by the EU and UN, completed in 2022, that preserved the synagogue and also a local church.
Situated on the left bank of the Dniester River, the town of Raşcov is currently part of the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Republic (Transnistria), which split from Moldova in 1990–92.
Today, the conserved synagogue ruins, church, and other religious heritage are tourist attractions — for mainstream tourists and also for Hasidic pilgrims who visit the tombs of noted rabbis in the Jewish cemetery.
In their 2017 essay, Kravtsov and Levin in fact were prescient.
They wrote:
The establishment of a secure lookout point at the edge of the western wall of the synagogue — with spectacular views of the building, the shulhoyf and the Dniester valley — may attract tourists and cause the local authorities to pay more attention to the upkeep of this outstanding monument.
A new web site for Rashov and its tourist potential has a focus on the religious heritage.
And local Elita TV this week posted a video showing the synagogue and churches swarmed by tourists and also religious visitors — take a look.
It’s quite a different scene from 2017!
The synagogue can no longer be called a “romantic” ruin — but it is conserved and visited. And there is on-site signage and online material that maintain the memory of the town’s Jewish history and heritage.