Jewish Communities of Ulan-Ude and Chita (mid-1940s – early 1950s)

The issue of the history of the Jewish communities in Ulan-Ude and Chita in the mid-1940s – early 1950s has not been a topic of specific studies in Russian historiography. However, it is the stated chronological period that is especially important for reconstructing the events. It is due to the change in the religious course of the state that occurred during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 and entailed the possibility of official opening of synagogues in the USSR. The state policy towards Jewish communities was influenced by the anti-cosmopolitan campaigns that unfolded in the USSR in 1949‑1953. The study aims to reconstruct the history of the Jewish communities of Ulan-Ude and Chita in the mid-1940s – early 1950s in the context of the Soviet state’s religious course. During the specified period, the Jewish communities of Ulan-Ude and Chita showed their public position striving to obtain the permission to open synagogues and the opportunity to perform religious practices. The official opening of the synagogue in Irkutsk served as a benchmark in this situation. Nevertheless, the required permissions were not received. As a result of their study the authors identified the peculiarities of the existence of Jewish communities in two regions remote from the country’s center and at the same time adjacent to each other. Moreover, the study presents the historical picture of the communities under the conditions of “late Stalinism”. This article will be of interest for researchers, teachers and students of universities, museum employees, and local historians.