2026-08-14 13:17 Projects

Lapidarium on Sukhaya Street: How Stones Find Their Voice

A memorial is being created in Minsk on the site of a former Jewish cemetery. More than half of the surviving gravestones have already been cleaned and digitised.

The project to preserve historical heritage on Sukhaya Street is gaining momentum. On 13 August 2026, volunteers and members of the Maccabi BY sports club gathered once again to continue the work of rescuing unique historical gravestones from the former Jewish cemetery. To date, 140 matzevot have been cleaned, measured, photographed and numbered – more than half of the total number of surviving stones (approximately 250).

A Place Where Memory Meets Oblivion

The Jewish cemetery on Sukhaya, established in 1868, was for over a century the main burial ground for Minsk's Jewish community. Thousands of people rest here: from rabbis and scholars to ordinary families whose lives were intertwined with the city's history. During the war, it found itself within the ghetto, becoming a witness to the tragedies of the Holocaust. In the 1970s, the cemetery was closed, and in the 1990s it was almost completely levelled, leaving only a few memorials to the victims. Around 250 gravestones lay in the park for decades, deteriorating from weather and time.

How the Project Began

The idea for the lapidarium came from the Jewish Religious Union of the Republic of Belarus. In April 2026, a working meeting was held with the head of the Moskovsky District Administration, where the concept for the future memorial was discussed.

On 23 June 2026, having received official permission from the authorities, the Union began the careful relocation of the gravestones from the memorial park to the Main Synagogue on Daumana Street. As Artur Livshyts, Chairman of the Jewish Religious Union, explained:

"Our initiative was supported by the city authorities. We moved approximately 250 matzevot and their fragments. All of them will become part of a unified architectural space, and instead of stones scattered across the ground, a place of memory will appear."

The temporary relocation sparked public debate. The Moskovsky District Administration and representatives of the Jewish Religious Union clarified that the stones were moved solely for the purpose of complete cataloguing, cleaning and recording of names and dates. After the work is completed, the gravestones will return to Sukhaya in the form of a lapidarium.

The Position of the Chief Rabbi

Rabbi Mordechai Raichinstein, Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Religious Union of the Republic of Belarus, supported the project:

"The construction of a lapidarium is a blessed deed that will perpetuate the memory of the cemetery that was here and of the people buried there. At the Sukhaya Street cemetery, the stones were scattered chaotically. There is no connection between where a stone lies and the stone itself, and there is no guarantee that in such a state they would be preserved. Creating a memorial is the only way to properly preserve these testimonies of history."

How Maccabi BY Supports the Project

For us, the mission of the Maccabi movement is about more than just sport. It is also about respect for our history, traditions and memory. This respect has also inspired the youth – volunteers from the Maccabi BY sports institution. This is a perfect illustration of continuity between generations: the physical strength of athletes serving to preserve the spiritual memory of the past.

On 26 July, the first large-scale volunteer outing took place, during which 70 matzevot were processed. On 13 August, work continued: members of Maccabi BY and concerned citizens committed to preserving historical memory once again joined the project.

The results of two outings:

140 gravestones cleaned of years of grime;
each stone measured, photographed and numbered;
all elements documented for subsequent entry into a catalogue.

What Happens Next

In the near future, the Union plans to complete the cleaning, measuring and photographing of all surviving matzevot; begin translating inscriptions from Hebrew and Yiddish into Russian and English; and create a complete catalogue listing names, dates and other details about those buried.

The development of the design project for the lapidarium – a memorial composition on the site of the former cemetery that will unite all surviving matzevot into a single architectural space – is scheduled to begin in autumn 2026.

Why It Matters

The meaning of this project goes deeper than simply preserving old stones. It is about restoring the connection between past and present. About ensuring that those living in Minsk today can see the physical traces of Jewish life that existed here for centuries. The lapidarium on the site of the former cemetery will become more than just a memorial – it will be a place where one can connect with the history of the city and the people who built it.

Sergey Rubanov, head of the Moskovsky District Administration, emphasised:

"The lapidarium on Sukhaya Street will become a significant landmark not only for the Jewish community, but for all residents of the district – a symbol of respect for history and for the people who lived here before us."

For years, these stones lay forgotten. Now, at last, they have been remembered. And this is only the beginning.