WORTH VISITING:
If You are on the road Vilnius-Ukmergė, do not hesitate to turn along the way to Širvintos. On the one end of Vilnius street You will find an extant building of Širvintos mural synagogue, and on the other end of the street – a church of Saint Michael Archangel. You can take a slow walk alongside the pond near the town`s center and if You will go a bit further You will be rewarded with a calming view of meandering Širvinta river.
BRIEF HISTORY:
Red-brick mural synagogue in Širvintos was built at the very end of the 19th century. It was the main Jewish prayer house in town. Its initial building was one-story, windows were set up quite high above the ground and it had few small balconies as well. During the Nazi occupation, the synagogue was used as a storage house and the local Jewish community was murdered. During the Soviet occupation, the building of this synagogue was restored and in 1962 it was drastically changed. It is worth noting, that such a brutal reconstruction was the fate of other neighbouring Old town buildings as well.
CURRENT SITUATION:
Today the building on Vilnius str. 37 is not recognizable as a Jewish prayer house – unless the passers-by already know it. Now the building has the first floor and it is painted yellow. If You wish to see what has happened to the interior of the synagogue, You can visit the shop during its working hours on the first floor of the building.
LOOKING AROUND:
Historical Jewish quarter in Širvintos
Historical Jewish quarter in Kaišiadorys
Historical Jewish quarter in Ukmergė
Historical Jewish quarter in Žiežmariai
The inn of Žiežmariai
The wooden synagogue in Žiežmariai
