The synagogue in
Sharhorod in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Vinnytsia Oblast
Vinnytsia Oblast ( uk, Ві́нницька о́бласть, translit=Vinnytska oblast; ; also referred to as Vinnychchyna — uk, Ві́нниччина) is an oblast of western and southwestern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Vinnytsia. ...
was built in 1589 and is one of the oldest synagogues in Ukraine.
Architecture
The synagogue was built in 1589 as a
fortress synagogue
A fortress synagogue is a synagogue built to withstand attack while protecting the lives of people sheltering within it.
Fortress synagogues first appeared in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century at a time of frequent invasion ...
with walls between 1 and 2 m thick. The square main hall, which measures 15 x 15 m was the prayer hall the men. To the north is an extension which was the prayer hall for women. There are further extensions along the walls, of which the ones to the south and east are fairly modern (around 1950). Inside the main hall are 4 pillars, which are decorated with ornamental stucco fragments of the 18th and 19th centuries.
History
Sharhorod was occupied by the
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
between 1674 and 1699. During this time the synagogue was used as a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
. After the Turks were driven out of the region, it was converted into a synagogue again.
From around 1930, when Ukraine (and Sharhorod) belonged to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, the building was used as a storehouse for beverages.
In 2012 it was returned to the small Jewish community of Sharhorod.
[http://myshtetl.org/vinnitskaja/shargorod_en.html Recent history. Retrieved November 28, 2018]
See also
*
List of synagogues in Ukraine
This List of synagogues in Ukraine contains active, otherwise used and destroyed synagogues in Ukraine. In all cases the year of the completion of the building is given. Italics indicate an approximate date.
External links
Old postcards and pho ...
References
{{coord missing, Ukraine
Synagogues in Ukraine
Fortress synagogues