Demolition work began Monday on a former kindergarten in Vilnius to restore the territory of the historic Great Synagogue and ritual bathhouse, or mikveh, the city municipality announced.
Officials said the decision aims to open and preserve the remains of the synagogue and mikveh complex, which are listed in the Register of Cultural Property and protected as a heritage site of national significance.
The kindergarten building had been leased since 2018 and was no longer used for educational purposes. Archaeological excavations at the site, launched in 2011, uncovered significant foundations and cellars belonging to the Great Synagogue and mikveh.
In 2020, the Lithuanian government transferred ownership of the synagogue and mikveh remains to the Good Will Foundation as part of compensation for Jewish religious communities’ lost property. To enable the foundation to take over the site, the municipality agreed to change the land designation on Žydų Street from educational to public use only after the building’s demolition and completion of archaeological work.
Demolition is scheduled to be finished by September 5, carried out by the municipal company Grinda.
The Great Synagogue of Vilnius was built in 1633 after King Władysław IV Vasa granted permission to establish a Jewish quarter and construct a brick synagogue. Over time, the Shulhoyf – a synagogue courtyard with religious, ritual, and educational buildings – developed around it.
The neighbourhood suffered extensive destruction during World War Two, and the synagogue itself was demolished between 1955 and 1957. A kindergarten was later constructed on the ruins.
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