Moscow Choral Synagogue, Jewish synagogue in Basmanny District, Moscow, Russia

Moscow Choral Synagogue is a domed basilica at 10 Bolshoy Spasoglinischevsky Lane in Basmanny District. Its pale yellow facade has four white columns with ornate capitals supporting a triangular pediment, and a grey ribbed dome with a lantern rises behind. Inside are four prayer halls with women's galleries and walls decorated with floral and geometric ornaments.

The 1859 decree of Alexander II allowed wealthy merchants and university graduates to settle in Moscow, and by 1890 some 35,000 Jews lived there. The community bought land in 1886, and Semyon Eybushitz's domed basilica design was begun in 1887. After delays and a 1892 ban, Roman Klein finished the building, opened in 1906.

Inside, a cedar mosaic on the southern wall symbolizes the connection to Solomon's Temple and Jewish heritage. This artistic detail reminds visitors of the spiritual roots the place represents.

The building contains four prayer halls with women's balconies, a rabbinical court, a religious school, a Jewish restaurant, and a bookstore. Visitors should expect traditional layouts and various facilities within the complex.

Golda Meir, Israel's first envoy to the USSR, came here unannounced in October 1948 for the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services, which angered the Soviet authorities. The visit is the episode most often recalled about the synagogue's Soviet years.