Bronnaya Synagogue

The synagogue building was originally the estate of the famous Russian financier Lazar Polyakov. In 1883, under the direction of architect M.N. Chichagov, part of it was rebuilt in the Oriental style and transferred to the synagogue. It is noteworthy that a secret underground passage was specially constructed in the prayer hall to save Jews in case of possible pogroms. In its original architectural form, the synagogue existed until the 50s of the last century. In 1939, the rabbi of the synagogue, Moishe-Chaim Gurtenberg, was shot, and the synagogue itself was closed. Later, the building was reconstructed and in 1952 transferred to the Moscow House of Amateur Art. In 1991, the synagogue building was returned to the Jewish community. Until recently, the reconstruction of the building continued, turning the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya into one of the most modern — the exterior facade is lined with tinted glass, and the dome over the Ceremonial Hall has the shape of a star. Here, on the 3rd and 4th floors, there is a museum with a "Hall of Heroism" and a "Hall of Memory", where there are many interesting exhibits related to the cantonists, the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, and the history of Moscow Jewry. The inspection of the expositions is accompanied by a video and audio guide. All the most important milestones of human life are celebrated in the walls of the synagogue: circumcision rites, first-born redemption, bar and bat mitzvahs are celebrated, weddings are held The Religious Center provides kosher meat products to Jewish communities not only in Russia, but also in Ukraine and Belarus. There is a kosher restaurant and a kosher pizzeria – the only one in Russia. Rabbi of the Moscow synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya – Yitzhak Abramovich Kogan (born in 1946 in Leningrad) – Head of the CIS Hasidic association "Chabad Lubavitch".