Date Last Updated: 18-May-2012

Duma voter lists for Surazh uezd (Vitebsk gubernia) are available at:


http://www.angelfire.com/ms2/belaroots/surazh.htm

The lists contain the full names and places of residence of the Jewish voters.

This list was compiled by Michael Steinore.

Suraz Synagogues

The source of this information is from the website: mishpoha.ru/sinagoga_surazh.htm

This website was compiled by Michael Abramzon

In 1917 there were 6 Synagogues here. The Bolsheviks, according to their principle, shut them down. Two were closed in March 1921. The 4 remaining ones were:

1. The Synagogue of Libsona (the Brick Synagogue)
2. The Zadvinskoy Synagogue
3. The New Synagogue
4. Zakasplyanskoy Synagogue

As understood, the Jews asked that this should not be done. The Brick Synagogue was the best building; and therefore this building was also taken over by the police. The fate of the Synagogues can be traced by documents in the Public Archive of the Vitebsk region. Photographs of a few of these documents appear on the above site.

Afterwards these buildings had various uses:

1. A place for  50 starving invalids from Russia- 1921
2. The Brick Synagogue: the first plan was to use it for a Jewish School. It was used as a Shoe cooperative- 1929
3. A granary

The conditions of these buildings gradually declined.
This site contains lists of the members of 3 of the Synagogues: The New Synagogue, The Zakasplyanskoy Syagogue,  and The Zadvinskoy] Synagogue.