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Brick Synagogue, Privol'noe, Azerbaijan
The Brick Synagogue in Privol'noe (Privolnoye), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan).
Description
The village of Privol'noe was founded in the early 19th century by Ger and Subbotniks who had either been expelled or were seeking greater religious freedom far away from Tzar Nicolas I. At the village's peak population, it contained over 8,000 exclusively Subbotnik or Ger inhabitants.
Two synagogues of late 19th/early 20th century origin were reported by researchers at the Hebrew University Center for Jewish Art but local residents struggled to confirm this fact. However, when shown the historical photographs from the Hebrew University collection, both buildings were identified, one still standing, the other collapsed and eventually replaced with a modern building (see entry for Wooden Synagogue).
Hebrew University researchers claimed it was completed in 1917, but this synagogue was reportedly never able to be used as a synagogue. It served as a power station during the Soviet era and is now a livestock barn.
Sources
Interview with Alexsander (Isai/Ishak) Safurnov (Ben David).
See also: Hebrew University Center for Jewish Art.
Coordinates, pictures, and write-up provided by Arieh Scharnberg/Moreshet Adventures.