The conference “Preservation, Reconstruction and Restoration of Wooden Architecture Monuments” was held in the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve during two days - from July 1 to 2. Experts in the sphere of study and restoration of the monuments of wooden architecture shared their experience.
This event took place in the museum for the first time. It was initiated by the LLC “Restoration Centre – Architecture, Manufacture, Training” (Kirillov). A.V. Popov, director general of this organization, well-known architect and restorer, greeted all participants at the beginning. His speech set the pace for the whole conference. Ilya Smirnov, deputy director of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve, wished everybody fruitful work.
The participants of the conference gave reports about the problems of restoration and preservation of the monuments of wooden architecture. They spoke about the following sites: the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture (Veliky Novgorod), the Church of Transfiguration on the Island of Kizhi (the Republic of Karelia), the House of K.I. Naumov (Vologda), the House-Palace from the Ostashyovo village (the Kostroma region), the Church of the Deposition of the Virgin’s Robe from the Borodava village (Kirillov), the Church of Dormition from the Kuritsko village (the Novgorod region), the monuments of the island of Sviyazhsk (the Republic of Tatarstan).
Foreign guests also took part in the conference. Norwegian restorer Anders Haslestad told about the position of his state regarding such a sphere as restoration of the monuments of wooden architecture. Besides, American director John Mitchell Johnson also attended the event. He has been cooperating with Alexander Popov since the Russian specialists worked on the Fort-Ross project in California. At present Mr. Mitchell is shooting a film about the monuments of wooden architecture in the Russian North.
Some reports presented at the conference were about preservation of the stone architectural monuments. O.V. Voronicheva, deputy director on restoration in the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve, told about the problems of management of the world heritage sites. M.V. Smirnova, head of the Department of Restoration, Reconstruction and Capital Development in the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve, reported about the maintenance conditions of the cultural heritage site by the example of the Dormition (Assumption) Cathedral.
G.O. Ivanova, deputy director of the LLC “Restoration Centre – Architecture, Manufacture, Training”, explained everybody why the above-mentioned reports were included into the conference program, “In spite of the announced subject, two reports were connected with the stone monuments of the cultural heritage. But it was very important for us to listen to them. We face the same problems preserving the wooden architecture monuments. For example, the issue of maintenance of the optimal temperature and humidity conditions in these sites is also very topical”.
The round table discussion “Wooden Architecture in Russia: How to Save Those Monuments that Have Survived” was held according to the results of the conference. The participants came to the conclusion that the current problems could be solved thanks to well-organized joint work that would be continued already after the event.
