[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE BY JDN]

The tractors are smoothing out the ground for the many tents that will be set up to host the davening and farbrengens. Hotel rooms were booked, two airplanes chartered, and the catering service is working around the clock cooking up a storm to feed thousands of meals. The printing press is churning out programs, signs, and learning materials. All are getting ready for the historical kinnus that will take place IY”H next week in Moscow, Lubavitch, Liozna and Kazakhstan with over 500 European Rabbis and Shluchim in attendance.

The previous kinnus took place exactly 25 years ago, and the excitement is palpable among the Vaad HaKinnus, organizers, Rabbonim and hosts in Moscow.

The kinnus will open in the large Marina Roscha JCC in the center of Moscow. From there it will be a trip to daven at the holy tziyunim in Lubavitch, Liozna, and Liadi in Belarus.

For the auspicious day of 20 Menachem Av, the yortzeit of the Rebbe’s father, Reb Levi Yitzchok Shneerson, planes were chartered to take the group to the city of Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan, where his tziyun is located.

The kinus will conclude with a grand banquet in one of Moscow’s large halls, with Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar, and the Executive Director of Merkos Leinyonei Chinuch, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky speaking.

Pictured: preparing the land in Lubavitch for the tents that will host davening, learning and farbrengens.