BELARUS SHTETL

[ about the project ]

The Belarus Shtetl is a digital initiative dedicated to preserving, disseminating, and rethinking the history and cultural heritage of Jews of Belarus. In a larger perspective this multimedia exhibition emerges as a foundational element for the future virtual Belarusian-Jewish Museum.

The exhibition explores the theme of the shtetl through a combination of archival materials and digital forms of representation. At its core are detailed VR reconstructions of four significant synagogues from different towns in Belarus. Reflecting diverse periods, regions, and architectural styles, these reconstructions reveal the cultural richness and architectural diversity of Belarusian shtetls.

BELARUS SHTETL

Neglect of Jewish heritage and limited funding for its traditional restoration in Belarus led us to innovative, cost-effective preservation solutions. With a focus on significant sites under existential threat or destruction, the project combines historical archival information, academic research, and classical restoration techniques with modern technologies and communication methods to promote this heritage in an accessible formats.

Functioning on an international scale, the project establishes a connection between Belarusian Jewish heritage and global Jewish history, with the aim of elevating it from obscurity to its rightful place in the global cultural narrative.

Slonim synagogue, 2020. Grigoriy Kheifets

Belarus Shtetl is developed as an adaptive multimedia exhibition and is accessible in multiple formats — from online exhibitions and video narratives to on-site presentations and immersive VR experiences.

[ exhibition ]

OBJECTS

The project is grounded in archival research and visual sources, including more than 300 historical photographs and rare footage filmed in 1929. Using AI technologies, these materials were brought together into a visual reconstruction of the urban environment and everyday life of Jewish Slonim - a lost world of a Belarusian shtetl.

Curator: Grigoriy Kheifets
Creative Producer: Maya Katznelson
Historical Expertise: Victoria Gerasimova
Video Production & Animation: Yauhen Yushkin
Music: Gip Gipz, “J Beat” (album Rajsn-Elektronik)

Supported by Goethe-Institut Lithuania and the Eastern Partnership Programme of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.