Jewish Cultural Heritage in the USSR and after Its Collapse

Abstract

Abstract The article discusses the fate of tangible Jewish heritage (synagogues, ritual objects, museums, cemeteries) in the USSR and after its collapse. It demonstrates that during the interwar period, the Soviet state addressed Jewish heritage in a manner similar to that of other ethnic and religious groups. After WWII, the approach also was ambiguous: along with enormous destruction, there were cases of state protection and even restauration. After the collapse of the USSR, those post-Soviet countries that chose the “European way” (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) began to see Jewish monuments as part of their history and culture and to invest in their restoration. The rest of post-Soviet countries perceive Jewish monuments as “theirs,” belonging to Jews, who are entitled to deal with them, and not as an integral part of local history and culture that should be preserved for the benefit of the entire population.