State of Israel
Jewish Region
(7.6 mln ppl)
(176 thousand ppl)
1948
1934
Ideology: Zionism Religion: Judaism Language: Hebrew
Ideology: Communism Religion: Atheism Language: Yiddish
History In 1924 – 25 the Soviet system faced with faced a piquant situation: collectivization and industrialization were in full swing, while two and a half million of Jewish people were neither collective farmers (kolkhozniks) nor factory workers. Moreover they were on the verge of physical extinction. This was associated with the fact that Jews in the territory of Ukraine and Belarus, according to the law of the Katherine the Great, lived in residential area and at the same time had no right to own the land. Their occupation was minor craft but the Soviet system has extinguished private property. There was only one evident way out – to grant land ownership to the Jews in order they work for the benefit of the socialist construction. Two organizations were established: KOMZET (Committee for Settlement of Working Jews on the Land) and OZET (Society for Settlement of Working Jews on the Land). The two organizations started searching areas of their historical dwelling, but discovered that in the huge territory of Ukraine and Belarus there was no unoccupied land – the territories were already developed. So they started looking for the land.
Bauhaus in Birobidzhan
There was a whole range of variants: Caucasus, Crimea. But in Crimea local population went on strike – Crimean Tatars, this is why the decision was taken to look for the land in the Asian part of Russia – in underpopulated Far East, in Birobidzhan district, where a small expedition was sent headed by Brook, a scientist who specialized in agronomy. Brook reported the results of research explaining the advantages of the territory. The decision was taken to start the settlement. There were established centers for agitation; propagandists came and told about the benefits of the project. As a result first dwellers started coming to Birobidzhan district. The first flow of settlers in 1928 came from original Jewish settlements, situated in the territory of modern Ukraine and Belarus. Later on settlers even came from abroad, established communes and partnerships.
Hannes Meyer, once the director of Bauhaus School, also took part in Birobidzhan construction. Although his project wasn't built, his ideas had influence on the later development of the town.