Facade Of Ancient Synagogue In Babruisk Desecrated With Letter Z

• 3.05.2022, 12:28

A high-pressure washer is needed to clean the wall completely.

The correspondent of the "Viacherni Babruisk" newspaper arrived at the scene when volunteer Dzmitry from Babruisk was already trying to remove the inscriptions.

At 6 p.m. of the day off, the Jewish community of Babruisk was informed from Israel that the letters "Z" had appeared on the wall of the synagogue-museum. A member of the community, Siarhei, asked his friend Dzmitry to go and try to remove the letters and he went there immediately. The correspondent found Dzmitry doing that. There were three letters "Z" painted on the front wall of the synagogue facing Chanharskaya Street, one of them "backwards".

Alena, a landlady of the neighbouring house, said that the signs appeared on Saturday evening between 6pm and 8pm. The same thing was painted on the gate of her house (29, Chanharskaya Street).

- Yesterday I came home from work at six, nothing was there, - says Alena. - Then I went away again, and came back at eight, and there was it! There was a huge 'Z' all over the gate! I walked down the street and saw that the synagogue had been painted the same way. I didn't see it anywhere else.

Alena didn't report it to anyone, and on Sunday she found a cleaner and washed the Z sign off her gate. She has recently had her house and gate renovated, so she is particularly outraged:

- I can't believe it! Why mess it up like that? And we've just renovated the house... I was afraid that washing off their scribbles would ruin my gate. But it did not.

Dzmitry tried to wash the paint off with acetone - it did not work, it got into pores and cracks in the bricks. A metal brush did the job better. Soon Siarhei brought a special paint remover, and it worked with it and with hard work of the brush it went well.

Meanwhile, Babruisk Rabbi Shaul Khaboba called the police. By the time they arrived, only partial traces were left of the three "Zs".

According to Dzmitry, a high-pressure washer is needed to clean the wall completely. Neither Dzmitry nor Siarhei had any "printed" words to express their attitude towards the deed of the unknown people.

- It's very sad that there are people who behave this way, - said Rabbi Khaboba. - This is a place for rest of body and soul, people open their hearts and pray here. And we pray with everyone for peace and good. Many thanks to those who have cleaned our monument!

We remind you that the ruins of the synagogue at the intersection of Chanharskaya Street and Bakharau Street are now an open-air museum site. The grand opening of the "Jewish Yard" on the site of the ancient synagogue took place on August 4, 2019. Hundreds of Babruisk residents and guests came to the event.

The exposition of the courtyard is gradually being replenished and improved, and the community plans to replace the banners on the windows with full-fledged framed paintings in the near future.