The most beautiful synagogues to visit Russia

Situated in the heart of the city, between trendy restaurants and luxury boutiques, the synagogue building stands out and amazes. It is reminiscent of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and has a unique and complicated history like that of the Jews of Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Initially, the synagogue was financed in 1883 by the industrialist and banker Lazarem Solomonovichem and designed by the architect M.N. Chichagov in a Moorish style. In the 1920s the synagogue began its adventures, its Jewish school for boys (the Heder) was closed and in December 1937 Rabbi Moshe Haim Gurtenberg was shot by the GPU (USSR State Police), two years later it became state property. For almost 40 years it served as a centre for amateur artists. In 1991 the synagogue was returned to the Jewish community of Moscow. It was erected by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson as a representation of the ultra-orthodox Lubavitch movement on Russian territory. The new building of the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronaya Street was built in memory of the Jewish victims of the 20th century.

On the top floor, there is a nice kosher Jerusalem restaurant (Yerousalim) which offers specialities from the Caucasus and the Middle East, including a variety of grilled meat and fish that can be enjoyed in summer on their terrace with a lovely view of the city.