12 Pushkinskaya Street, Kharkiv Choral Synagogue6 photos

12 Pushkinskaya Street, Kharkiv Choral Synagogue

The Kharkiv Choral Synagogue is a unique monument to Jewish synagogue architecture. Its architectural style combines elements of various European styles from different periods—Moorish and Romanesque-Gothic influences—setting it apart from synagogues in Western Ukraine.
In 1906, the dilapidated prayer hall was closed by the provincial authorities, forcing the congregation to pray in private locations. In response, the management of the First Jewish Prayer Hall commissioned the Imperial St. Petersburg Architectural Society to organize a competition for designs for a new choral synagogue in Kharkiv. The winner was Y.G. Gevirtz.

Previously, on this same site stood the mansion of the Zarudny family, built in the early 19th century according to the design of architect P.A. Yaroslavsky. In 1867, the building housed a men’s boarding school run by Professor Robush and later a women’s boarding school; from 1867 to 1906, it served as the First Jewish Prayer Hall. Documentation indicates that in 1887, the First Prayer Hall had a total of 800 members. During market days, up to 3,000 additional Jews would come to the city for trade activities. The building was demolished in 1910 to make way for the construction of the new synagogue.

Groundwork for the new choral synagogue began on May 10, 1910. The old synagogue was demolished in the same year, and by September 1913, the new, unique structure was completed at 12 Pushkinskaya Street.

The synagogue was used for its intended purpose for about 10 years before being nationalized by the Soviet authorities in 1923. The building was then converted into a Jewish workers’ club.

The club occupied the synagogue until 1941, and after the war, the remaining structure was converted into a sports hall. During this renovation, its unique interior features were destroyed, and the space was divided into two levels with concrete partitions. In 1990, the synagogue building was returned to the religious community and restored.

According to some locals, during the post-war period, a boxing gym was also located in the basement of the synagogue building.

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