| Great Synagogue | |
| Image Upright: | 1.4 |
| Festivals: | --> |
| Organizational Status: | --> |
| Functional Status: | Abandoned |
| Location: | Heroiv Maidanu Street, Husiatyn, Ternopil Oblast 48200 |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Map Type: | Ukraine |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Map Relief: | 1 |
| Coordinates: | 49.0733°N 26.2086°W |
| Architecture Type: | Synagogue architecture |
| Date Destroyed: | --> |
| Elevation Ft: | --> |
The Great Synagogue (Festungs-Schule) is a former Orthodox Jewish synagogue, located on Heroiv Maidanu Street, in Husiatyn, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. The congregation worshipped initially in the Ashkenazi rite;[1] however, by the late 19th-century, the congregation worshipped according to Hassidic practices.
Described as "one of the loveliest and most splendid in Galicia",[2] and as "exquisite",[3] the former synagogue building is listed as a monument of Architectural Heritage of National Importance of Ukraine.
Built in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1654, the synagogue is a rare example of Renaissance fortress architecture.[3] [4] [5] After a fire in 1742, the synagogue was rebuilt and almost lost all its distinctive defensive features. The rebuild incorporated Moorish Revival and Gothic Revival decorative elements in the façade and interior.
Damaged during and after World War II the building ceased to operate as a synagogue following invasion by German Nazis in 1941.[6] In 1972 the standing ruin was renovated and turned into a Jewish history museum.[7] In 2014, the building, no longer a museum, was listed by government authorities as available for lease.[8] Today, the roof has collapsed and the building stands vacant.
