About the Project
Sites of Jewish Culture and Memory in Russia
William C. Brumfield
Photographer • Historian • Preservationist
Professor of Slavic Studies at Tulane University and the only American elected to both the Russian Academy of Architecture and the Russian Academy of Fine Arts.
Documenting Jewish Heritage Across Russia
This digital archive presents Professor William C. Brumfield's photographic documentation of Jewish monuments and sites of memory across 20 Russian cities—from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Irkutsk, Chita, and the Siberian Far East.
For the first time, these 150,000 images are made publicly accessible in a unified digital form, revealing synagogues, memorials, and architectural heritage that bear witness to deeply rooted Jewish communities across Russia. This is a living project: new cities, photographs, and historical records are added as the work develops.
Photographs
Spanning 1970 to the present across Russia's cities and regions
Cities Documented
From St. Petersburg and Moscow to Irkutsk, Chita, and the Siberian Far East
Years of Work
Professor Brumfield's photographic career spans more than five decades
State Honors & Recognition
2019
Order of Friendship
Highest state decoration conferred by the President of the Russian Federation on foreign nationals
2006
Russian Academy of Fine Arts
Honorary Fellow — the only American ever elected to both Russian state academies
2002
Russian Academy of Architecture
Elected Member — State Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences
Additional Recognition
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship • Dmitry S. Likhachev Prize (2014) • 45+ Books Published
Explore the Archive
Related Project
Jewish Contributions to the Architecture of St. Petersburg (JCASP) is a companion site documenting the extraordinary concentration of Jewish architectural work in Russia's former imperial capital.
Visit JCASP →