Obj. ID: 16120
Jewish Architecture  Description of the Jewish school in Bila Tserkva (Belaia Tserkov'), Ukraine, 1901

To the main object: Jewish school in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine

Name of the place: Belaia Tserkov’

Name of the synagogue: Jewish school in Bila Tserkva (Belaia Tserkov’)

Location: Ukraine; Kyivs’ka; Bila Tserkva (Belaia Tserkov’); 42 Khmelnytsky St.

In September of 1998 the architects I. Fugol, I. Czurilik, and P. Khmilevskii completed the field documentation and the measurements. O. Boiko wrote the description.

1. History of the place:

1.4.2. Foundation (existence) of synagogues, beit-midrashes, yeshibots, orphanages, old people's homes, cheders, craft schools, cemeteries, hospitals, mikvaot, burial societies, social organizations, sport clubs, publishing houses, etc.: A few buildings associated with the synagogue have been preserved including a former Jewish school and other institutions.

1.4.5. Jewish life today (1998): There is an active Jewish community in the town.

2. Topography: There are two residence buildings next to the eastern façade of the building.

3. General state of preservation: Satisfactory.

4. History of the building: During the time of the Soviet Union through to today (1998), the building is used as a youth art school.

4.2. When was it built: The date of the finished building (1901) is displayed in brick under an arch on the western façade.

5. General description of the exterior of the building: The building is monumental, two-tiered, and brick. The classicist architectural décor of the facades are in color (blue and white). The western facade is symmetrical. The entrance is emphasized by a portico with a balcony. The western sections of the southern and the northern facades are finished by triangular frontons with small bulls-eye windows within the otherwise plain tympanums.

5.1. Division into volumes: The building has two volumes.

5.2. The main and side entrances: The main entrance is on the western facade.

5.3. Surrounding buildings: There are two residence buildings next to the eastern façade of the building.

5.4. The later side and upper extensions, reconstructed parts.

5.5. The walls: The walls are 80 cm thick and constructed with unplastered colored bricks.

5.6. The attic wall: There is no attic.

5.7. The roof: The roof over the eastern volume is two-sloped. The room over the western volume is more complicated and covered by slate. There are stairs to gain access to the roof.

5.8. The general impression of the synagogue and its attachments: A stylized public building.

5.8.2. Personal impression of an expert, as a human being: An impressive public building.

5.9. Architectural style of the building (of its each constructive period): Late classicism.

6. General description of the ground plan:

6.1. Rectangular or oblique outline of the plan: Rectangular, spanning from east to west.

6.2. General exterior measurements: The building is 47.11 m x 19.74 m.

6.3. Orientation of the ground plan: The building is facing west.

7. Descriptions of the facades: The facades have classicist decor, flat-arched and semicircular openings, and are finished by a molded cornice.

7.1. General measurements of the façades: Western volume: from the conditional zero up to the cornice is 9.84 m and up to the top of the roof is 12.5 m. Eastern volume: from the conditional zero up to the cornice is 8.95 m and up to the top of the roof is 11.41 m.

7.2. Number of tiers of the facades: The building is two-tiered.

7.2.1. Description of the lower tier:

7.2.1.1.1. Door/window openings: All the door and window openings are original to the building. On the western façade there is a door in the center and 4 windows (two on either side of the door). The southern facade has 14 windows. The northern facade has 11 windows and 2 doors. The eastern façade is obscured by a building.

7.2.1.1.2. Outlines of the openings: All the windows have flat arches. The door on the western façade has a semicircular finishing, and the doors on the northern façade are rectangular.

7.2.1.1.3. Frames of the openings: The frames of the windows are wooden and two-sashed.

7.2.1.1.4. The exterior decorative frames of the openings: All windows of the lower tier are decorated by brick framings and keystones.

7.2.1.2. Decorative elements of the tier: The frames of the windows, the molding between windows, are all consistent through the whole lower tier of the entire building. The rustic-looking pilasters are consistent only on the lower tier of the western volume.

7.2.1.3. Finishing: The brick is unplastered and colored blue and white.

7.2.1.4. Vertical division of the tier: The western volume is divided by rustic-looking pilasters (one between each window/door and on each corner).

7.2.1.5. Horizontal division of the tiers: The tiers are separated by the brick molded intermediate cornice.

7.2.2. Description of the upper tier:

7.2.2.1.1. Door / window openings: Both the southern and the northern facades have 14 windows, the western facade have 4 windows and a door in the center. The eastern façade is obscured by a building.

7.2.2.1.2. Outlines of the openings: The windows on the upper tier of the eastern volume have flat arches. In the upper tier of the western volume they are finished with semicircular arches. Both the southern and the northern facades have 11 windows with flat arches and 3 windows with semicircular arches. The western facade has 4 windows and a door with semicircular arches.

7.2.2.1.3. Frames of the openings: The frames of the openings with flat arches are wooden and two-sashed, the frames of the semicircular openings are wooden with fanlights. The door on the western façade is two-sashed.

7.2.2.1.4. The exterior decorative frames of the openings: The semicircular windows are decorated with brick archivolts and the windows with flat arches are decorated with frames and keystones.

7.2.2.2. Decorative elements of the tier: On the western volume of the building the facades of the second tier are divided by rustic-looking pilasters. The western facade is emphasized by the central parapet, decorated by mirrors under the windows, the windows are connected by the molding. The facades of the western volume are decorated with a frieze and the southern and the northern facades are emphasized by triangle frontons.  

7.2.2.3. Finishing: The brick is unplastered and colored blue and white.

7.2.2.4. Vertical division of the tier: The western part is decorated by rustic-looking pilasters.

7.2.2.5. Horizontal division of the tiers: The tiers are separated by the brick molded intermediate cornice.

7.3. Crowning element of the façade: The facades of the eastern volume are finished by brick cornice. The northern and southern facades of the western volume are finished by frontons. The western façade is finished with brick cornice and a central parapet.

8. Description of the interior space, room by room: The interior space has a long corridor down the center of the building from west to east. In the western volume of the upper tier is where the big entrance hall is located. The tiers are connected by two stair cases.

8.1.3. Pavement: The floors are wooden.

8.1.4. Walls: The walls are painted white.

8.1.4.1. Location and number of the door/window openings: The location and number of openings are the same as on the exterior.

8.1.4.2. Outlines of the openings: Some of the inner doorways have flat arches and some are just rectangular. The windows either have flat or semicircular arches.

8.1.4.3. Frames of the openings: The frames of the windows and rectangular doors are generally wooden. Windows are dressed with curtains.

 9. Torah Ark: There is no Torah ark.

10. Bimah: There is no bimah