en Vidin Synagogue

Vidin Synagogue
Vidin Synagogue
Bulgarian: Видинска синагога, romanized: Vidinska sinagoga
	The reconstructed former synagogue in 2023, repurposed as the Jules Pascin Cultural Centre
Religion
Affiliation	Orthodox Judaism (former)
Rite	Nusach Sefard
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue (1894–c. 1944); Cultural center (since 2023);
Ownership	Municipality of Vidin
Year consecrated	28 September 1894
Status	Inactive (as a synagogue);; Repurposed;
Location
Location	Baba Vida Street, Vidin
Country	Bulgaria
	Location of the ruins of the former synagogue in Bulgaria
Geographic coordinates	43°59′29″N 22°53′2″E / 43.99139°N 22.88389°E
Architecture
Architect(s)	V. Kitov
Type	Synagogue architecture
Style	Romanesque Revival; Rundbogenstil;
Groundbreaking	1890
Completed	1894
Specifications
Direction of façade	North-east
Capacity	1,000 worshipers
Length	36.5 metres (120 ft)
Width	22 m (72 ft)
Height (max)	21 m (69 ft)
Dome(s)	Four
Dome height (inner)	11 m (36 ft)
Spire(s)	Four
Materials	Brick
Website
	www.cc-pascin-vidin.eu

The Vidin Synagogue (Bulgarian: Видинска синагога, romanized: Vidinska sinagoga) is a former Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, whose ruins are located at Baba Vida Street, in Vidin, in northwest Bulgaria. Designed in the Romanesque Revival and Rundbogenstil styles, the former synagogue was completed in 1894.^[1]

A national monument of culture in Vidin, the former Sephardic synagogue is situated in the Kaleto neighbourhood next to the Baba Vida castle and the banks of the Danube. It was the second-largest synagogue in Bulgaria after the Sofia Synagogue.^[2]

The building was desecrated during World War II, was in ruins for approximately forty years, subsequently restored, and was repurposed as the Jules Pascin Cultural Centre, named in honour of painter Jules Pascin,^[3] that opened in September 2023.

History

Prior to construction of the current building, an old synagogue existed on the site, constructed with the support of Yakov Jacob Gattegno, a noble. The synagogue was destroyed in 1789 and rebuilt in 1839, with the support of Raphael Ashkenazi, and this building was again devastated by artillery fire during the Russo-Turkish War.^[4]

The foundations of the new, current synagogue were laid in 1890 and its construction was funded by merchants from the local Jewish community. The synagogue was consecrated on 28 September 1894 by Chief Rabbi of Bulgaria, Dr. Mordechai Grunwald.^[4] This building was used as a house of prayer, accommodating up to 1,000 worshipers, until World War II, where it was again desecrated. After the aliyah of the Vidin Jews in the 1950s, the former synagogue was left derelict and then was used for profane purposes.^[3] An earthquake in 1976 further damaged the building and it lay in a ruinous state.^[1]

The Bulgarian government initiated its reconstruction as a concert hall in 1983. However, the project was abandoned with the fall of the communist regime in 1989, leaving the synagogue without a roof.^[5]^[6]^[7]

The former synagogue was added to the World Monuments Watch in 2004. In 2017, the Bulgarian Jewish community transferred ownership to the Municipality of Vidin and in May 2021, ground was broken for the synagogue's full reconstruction using EU and national funds.^[5]^[8] On 4 September 2023, the former synagogue reopened as a museum and multi-purpose cultural centre dedicated to the Vidin-born Jewish painter Jules Pascin (1885–1930).^[2] The opening ceremony was attended by Bulgarian president Rumen Radev.^[9]

Architecture

The synagogue was designed by V. Kitov in an eclectic style featuring a large façade arch and four corner towers, as inspired by the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest.^[5] Its architecture combines Jugendstil, Romantic Revival, and Neoclassical influences.^[1] The altar was built by Vidin-based Czech sculptor Max Werich. Lighting was delivered from Vienna and timber was sourced from Transylvania and Hungary. The synagogue measures 36.50 by 22 m (119.8 by 72.2 ft), with a maximum height of 21 m (69 ft).^[6]