The Bolshaya Bronnaya Synagogue is a Chabad Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 6 Bolshaya Bronnaya Street in Moscow, Russia.

History

The synagogue was built as a private synagogue by pre-revolutionary millionaire Lazar Solomonovich Polyakov. Privately constructed and owned synagogues that served congregations were a familiar tradition in many parts of Europe; in the Russian Empire, great magnates could sometimes get permission to erect private synagogues outside of the Pale of settlement when congregations could not. The pre-war rabbi was executed by the Soviet government in 1937 and the building was converted into a trade union meeting hall. In 1991, the building was transferred to Chabad Lubavich. In 2004, a renovation was completed. The building includes classrooms, a bookstore, a lecture hall, mikvah and kosher restaurant. Since 1991, the rabbi has been Yitzchok Kogan. In 1999 there was a failed bomb attack on the synagogue. On January 11, 2006, the synagogue was attacked by a neo-Nazi skinhead who stabbed nine people. It was reported that Alexander Koptsev, aged 20 years, shouted "I will kill Jews" and "Heil Hitler" before stabbing at least eight men. The rabbi jumped Kotsev, and the rabbi's 18-year-old-son, Yosef Kogan, wrestled him to the ground. Kogan held the assailant until police detained him. A documentary film was made about the two incidents.