For hundreds of years, Russia was home to millions of chassidic Jews who enjoyed a dynamic and vibrant culture. A combination of anti-semitic decrees and pogroms, the Haskalah, the Communist Revolution, World War I, the Nazi invasion and Stalinist persecutions forced these Jews to flee, be slaughtered, or assimilate. Today, those chassidic dynasties that survived have developed centers in Israel and America. But many treasures of that period remain buried, yet to be discovered and revived.

The Jews of Russia and Ukraine created a rich musical tradition spanning centuries. Many of these melodies are still sung today, but many more have been lost to posterity. Most of the niggunim in this collection were transcribed by a Russian Jewish musicologist who traveled to the shtetlach and recorded the villagers on Edison wax cylinders. These songs are presented here in instrumental arrangements featuring Chassidic fiddle, that help capture the energy and spirit of the times and environment that produced them.