Moisei Beregovsky

Moisei Beregovsky was a prominent Soviet Jewish folklorist and ethnomusicologist, born in 1892 in the Ukrainian SSR. His work primarily focused on the study of Jewish music, encompassing various genres such as klezmer music, Yiddish song, and wordless nigun melodies. Beregovsky's research also explored the music of Purim plays, contributing significantly to the understanding of Jewish musical heritage. Through his extensive collections and publications, he played a crucial role in preserving and promoting Jewish music from the late Russian Empire and early Soviet period.

Beregovsky's career spanned several decades, with the majority of his research conducted between 1927 and 1949. Despite facing ideological restrictions and a period of imprisonment in a forced labor camp from 1950 to 1955, he continued to work tirelessly in his field. Following his rehabilitation after 1955, Beregovsky resumed his work during the Khrushchev era, ultimately leaving behind a legacy of published collections that remain essential sources of Jewish music. Although many of his works were released posthumously, Beregovsky's contributions to the field of ethnomusicology have endured, and he passed away in 1961, leaving a lasting impact on the study and appreciation of Jewish music.