Experts
from the World Heritage Centre travelled to Kizhi Pogost this summer
to consult with Russian specialists on the conservation of the wooden
structures of the Church of the Transfiguration, the centrepiece of
the
Kizhi Pogost World Heritage site. Located on one of the many islands
on Lake Onega, in Karelia, northwestern Russia, the site features
two wooden 18th-century churches and an octogonal clock tower, also
in wood, built in 1862. These unusual constructions, in which the
science of carpentry led to a bold visionary architecture, perpetuate
an ancient model of parish space and are in total harmony with the
surrounding landscape. However, structural deformations and wood decay
have long raised concerns at the site. The restoration project, conducted
with exemplary international cooperation, is expected to provide valuable
lessons for the conservation of wooden heritage here and elsewhere
in Eastern Europe.
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