About this talk

Siberia is a vast region of Russia that stretches from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It is usually associated only with frost, snow, prisons, and forests. But is that really the whole story? In this talk, we'll explore Jewish life in this immense territory over the past 400 years.

While many Jews from the Pale of Settlement tried to escape to America or Palestine, some chose a different path and went to Siberia in search of freedom. Others were forced to go there—as soldiers, criminals, or political prisoners. Rulers like Nicholas I and Stalin had their own plans for Jewish settlement in Siberia.

We'll look at when and how Jews arrived in Siberia, where they settled, and what they did there as the country—and the world—underwent major changes. I'll also take you to Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in Russia's Far East, near the border with China. Today, it remains a unique place where visitors can still find street signs in Yiddish.

Temperatures in Siberia range from extremely cold to extremely hot—and so does Jewish life there.

About Evgenia

Evgenia Kempinski is a Russian Jew born and raised in St. Petersburg. Her family was originally from the Pale of Settlement - Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.

She was an official St. Petersburg tour guide for over 15 years, and she was the founder and owner of St.Petersburg Jewish Tours - a company offering Jewish travelers a unique experience of showcasing the best of the former Soviet Union and Scandinavia from a Jewish point of view.

Today, she is based in Barcelona, Spain, where she conducts both Jewish-themed and general interest tours in person.