The return to life of ancient churches

The return to life of ancient churches

In 2014 emergency response and conservation work on cultural heritage sites, architectural monuments of the late 19th century - the Church of Purification of Virgin Mary in Ryapusovsky Pogost and the church of St. George the Victorious in Kazarinovskaya was completed. The work was carried out as part of the Russian-Norwegian project Wooden Architecture In The Cultural Landscape of Kenozero. Monitoring and NMaintenance with the support of the Directorate for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Norway, RIKSANTIKVAREN.
The Church of the Purification of Virgin Maryin Ryapusovsky Pogost, an ancient village on the southeastern shore of Kenozero, was built at the end of the 19th century. In the 1930s it was closed and used as a school. During rebuilding the top parts of the church and of bell tower disappeared. 


To carry out emergency and conservation work Kenozero National Park purchased and delivered construction materials and scaffolding on a barge to Ryapusovsky Pogost. A team of builders replaced the rotten structures, strengthened the building, replaced the upper logs, covered the roof withsolid boardingand waterproof layer.
Restoration work at the Church of the Purification of Virgin Mary in Ryapusovsky Pogost. Photo by K. Kokoshkin
Also as part of the project, repairs were completed at the Church of St. George the Victorious in Kazarinovskaya village, one of two villages formerly united by the common name Trufanovolocated on the eastern shore of lake Lekshmozero. The church was rebuilt and used as a club in the 1930s, and later there was a granary in it.
The builders replaced the rotten structures in the rafter system, covered the roof with solid boarding and waterproof layer, replaced the upper and lower corners of the log house, and the floor was replaced as well. The window frames of the church were sent for restoration.
It is important that the work on the monuments was carried out by a team of builders from the village of Ust-Pocha, Plesetsk sector of the Park, under the leadership of Vladimir Nikolaevich Ershov.
Restoration work at the Church of St. George the Victorious in Kazarinovskaya village
As part of this project, repairs were planned for three architectural monuments of Kenozero National Park - the Church of St. George the Victorious in Kazarinovskaya, the Church of thePurification of Virgin Maryin Ryapusovsky Pogost and the church in the name of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called and Elijah the Prophet in Vedyagina village.


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