Historic Ulan-Ude synagogue returns to the Jewish community

The historic synagogue building in Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryatia in southeastern Russia, has been transferred back to the local Jewish community after decades of non-Jewish uses and nearly 100 years since Soviet authorities closed it. The report, by Itamar Eichner in Ynet, says the building, at 8 Sverdlov Street in the city center, was built in 1882, once served the Jews of Ulan-Ude, and is now listed as a regional cultural heritage site.

During the Soviet period, the synagogue was shut down and the religious community that operated there was dissolved in 1929 as part of the communist regime’s anti-religious policy. Over the years, the structure was used as a Jewish school, a Soviet “House of Defense,” an aviation club, and later as part of the local technological university.

Andrey Samsonov, head of the Jewish community in the city, told the local paper Number One that restoration plans include removing the third floor added in the Soviet era, restoring the original dome, and placing a Star of David atop the building, as it once stood. He said the interior will also be rebuilt with traditional religious features, including the Ark and a prayer hall in line with Jewish law.

The community hopes to begin restoration this year. The total cost has not yet been fully assessed, but Samsonov said a significant share of the funding is coming from private donors outside the region. Once the work is complete, the community expects to reopen an active synagogue in the city center for the first time since the 1930s, an event seen as historic for local Jews, whose numbers fell sharply after the Soviet collapse and emigration to Israel and other countries.