Siberia: Ethnographic Museum Restores Historical Wooden Synagogue

A newly reconstructed wooden synagogue, originally built circa 1908 and located near the town of Zima on the outskirts of Siberian Irkutsk, will soon open its doors within the Taltsy Ethnographic Museum complex.

The historic synagogue, built alongside the bustling station town on the Trans-Siberian Railway, suffered destruction and was dismantled years ago during the Soviet era. Based on original designs, the Taltsy Ethnographic Museum has meticulously recreated the structure.

Rabbi Aharon Wagner, Chief Rabbi of Irkutsk and Chabad emissary, played a central role in guiding the restoration, closely collaborating with the museum team to ensure that Jewish laws and traditional heritage inform the construction.

“This magnificent and moving structure reminds us of our connection to the ancestral chain of generations,” explains Rabbi Wagner. “It adds greatly to Jewish pride and identity, proving that our ancient people continue to live, bringing light, justice and righteousness to the world.”

The project is planned to open in a year’s time, as interior and furnishings are finalized ahead of the official opening. Rabbi Wagner and local Jewish communal leaders will help manage the synagogue once it opens, providing services for local Jews and hosting thousands of annual museum visitors.

The new synagogue will also function as a Jewish museum, complementing Taltsy’s broader mission of celebrating the region’s multicultural heritage. The museum also includes restored sites for other faiths and communities, framing the synagogue in a broader ethnographic context.

Taltsy, one of only two open air ethnographic museums of its scale in Russia, attracts hundreds of thousands of national and international visitors annually. The new synagogue promises to deepen understanding of Siberia’s Jewish past and contribute to the museum’s growing array of historic reconstructions.