Irkutsk synagogue, Regional cultural heritage synagogue in Right Bank District, Irkutsk, Russia.
Irkutsk synagogue is a two-story building with a T-shaped plan, its main volume facing Karl Liebknecht Street. It was built to the design of the Irkutsk architect V. A. Kudelsky with donations from members of the Jewish community. The building is a monument of history and culture of the late 19th century.
Permission to build was granted in April 1878, and the first service was held on 5 April 1879. That building burned in the same year's fire and was rebuilt by 1882. The synagogue was nationalized in 1920, closed in 1933, partially returned in 1945, and fully returned to the community in 1990.
The synagogue's name is tied to the merchant and cantonist Jews who built it. Today the ground floor holds a men's prayer hall with a women's gallery reached from the second floor, a dining room, and a display of community artifacts. A mikveh found during restoration was reopened.
The building is located among other historical sites in the Right Bank District and can be found with ease in the area. Visitors should know that access and visiting times connect to religious services and Jewish holidays throughout the year.
The 2004 fire broke out on Tisha B'Av, the fast marking the destruction of both Jerusalem Temples. The Torah scroll library burned and was buried in the Jewish cemetery. Reconstruction funded by communities and donors worldwide finished on 25 March 2009.
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