Preserving Belarusian Jewish Heritage with VR: The Belarus Shtetl Project

How can we preserve a cultural heritage that exists only in scattered memories, fading photographs, and fragmented stories? The Belarus Shtetl Project offers an innovative answer. Combining cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technologies with meticulous academic research, this groundbreaking initiative seeks to reconstruct and reimagine the lost world of Belarusian-Jewish heritage.

At the Digital Exhibitions Summit, Maya Katznelson, Founder and Curator of the Belarusian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Center, and Grigoriy Kheifets, Product Manager, delivered an inspiring presentation on their pioneering virtual reality heritage initiative. Their vision goes beyond mere preservation—it’s about creating an immersive bridge between the past and the present, ensuring that the stories of Belarus’s Jewish communities are not only remembered but experienced.

The Challenges of Heritage Preservation

Belarusian Jewish history has long been marginalised and largely erased from public memory, a result of wartime destruction, Soviet-era narratives, and limited resources for preservation. Once a vibrant part of Belarusian society, Jewish communities thrived in small towns known as shtetls, contributing significantly to the country’s multicultural identity. Today, the remaining traces of this heritage are scattered, inaccessible, or forgotten, with no comprehensive museum to represent its rich legacy.

Founded in 2019, the Belarusian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Center aimed to address this gap, initially launching international projects to develop a museum vision. However, political instability in Belarus since 2020, combined with regional tensions, forced the team into exile. Despite these challenges, they found an innovative way forward: a digital platform designed to preserve and share Belarusian Jewish history globally.

The Belarus Shtetl Project: A Digital Museum Vision

The Belarus Shtetl Project is the cornerstone of the future digital Belarusian-Jewish Museum. This multimedia initiative uses cutting-edge solutions to document, reconstruct, and reimagine Belarusian Jewish heritage. The project’s first milestone is a virtual reality exhibition featuring the Wolpa Great Synagogue, a stunning wooden structure built in the 18th century and destroyed during World War II.

The synagogue’s digital reconstruction, the first Belarusian heritage project featured in the Meta Store, brings this architectural marvel back to life. Drawing on historical photographs, blueprints, and archival documents, the team meticulously recreated its intricate details, from handcrafted decorations to its unique wooden architecture. Visitors can explore the synagogue through immersive VR tours, offering both free exploration and guided experiences complete with multilingual narration.

Collaboration and Innovation

The project’s success lies in its collaborative and interdisciplinary approach. Historians, 3D modellers, artists, and sound designers worked together to create an authentic and engaging digital experience. By combining traditional restoration techniques with modern technologies, such as VR and artificial intelligence, the team achieved a level of realism that goes beyond typical digital reproductions.

A particularly compelling feature is the ability to view both pre – and post – renovation interiors, allowing users to witness how the synagogue evolved over time. Interactive elements, such as zooming in on architectural details and exploring the synagogue’s current site, deepen the emotional impact of the experience.

A Catalyst for Global Recognition

The Belarus Shtetl Project not only preserves a vital piece of Jewish history but also fosters a global conversation about cultural heritage. In 2025, the VR reconstruction of the Wolpa Great Synagogue will be featured at the Museum of Jewish Art and History in Paris, alongside a wooden model of the synagogue created by students in the 1940s. This partnership, supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscores the project’s significance in connecting Belarusian Jewish heritage with the broader narrative of global Jewish history.

Looking Ahead

The Belarusian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Center plans to expand the digital platform with additional exhibitions and reconstructions. Upcoming projects include VR recreations of the Ashmyany Synagogue and others, each step bringing renewed attention to Belarusian Jewish culture. The team invites partnerships and collaborations to extend the reach of these digital exhibitions, ensuring that this heritage continues to inspire and educate audiences worldwide.

The Belarus Shtetl Project is a bold reimagining of how we connect with history. By embracing innovative technologies and fostering international collaboration, it ensures that the story of Belarusian Jewish heritage is preserved and celebrated for generations to come.