Large-scale restoration was completed in Ferapontov Monastery inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage List

P.O. Mosolov, deputy director of the Department of State Protection of Cultural Heritage in the Ministry of Culture of the RF; M.N. Sharomazov, director of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve; S.V. Usov, head of the Kirillov district; A.N. Tyulyandin, head of the Ferapontovo rural settlement; Father Ioasaf, Father Superior of the Bishop’s Yard “Ferapontov Monastery”; S.B. Kulikov, chief architect of the Federal State Budgetary Unitary Enterprise “Central Scientific and Restoration Design Workshops”; representatives of the LLC “OPT-stroy”, employees of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve and the Museum of Dionisy’s Frescoes participated in the event.

M.N. Sharomazov, director of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve, opened the ceremony, “The main restoration work in the Ferapontov Monastery has been completed. It is extremely important that it didn’t affect the tourist season and was carried out in record time, from early August to late October 2016. A package of work that has been carried out included restoration of the walls; the monastery is illuminated now. Heated floors have been made in the Refectory; they have made their original covering”. M.N. Sharomazov thanked the project designers and personally S.B. Kulikov, the LLC “OPT-stroy” (St. Petersburg), the workforce of restoration and a big team of restorers.

In his welcoming speech, P.O. Mosolov stressed that the Ferapontov Monastery was one of the significant UNESCO World Heritage Sites famous beyond Russia and it was of special value for the humanity. Pavel Mosolov noted the importance of application of elements of scientific restoration on the site, spoke about its further prosperity, thanked all people who helped to preserve the monastery on behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the RF.  

S.B. Kulikov, chief architect of the Federal State Budgetary Unitary Enterprise “Central Scientific and Restoration Design Workshops”, began his speech with the quotation of the great philosopher A.F. Losev, “Restoration is a form of study of the heritage”. “A person, who helps, participates and promotes restoration, preserves the heritage not only for himself or herself, but also opens and legalizes it for descendants”, underlined S.B. Kulikov. “Scientific restoration of the Ferapontov Monastery is a part of our heritage, that thing that we can be proud of”.

The Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral (1490) with the frescoes of Dionisy (1502), the Refectory with the Church of Annunciation (1530-1534) and the Monastery Walls (19th-20th centuries) were presented to the commission on that day.

The complex work carried out in the monuments included restoration of the roof, joinery products, floors, façades and interiors. Thanks to the installation of LED lamps in the window-frames, the frescoes of Dionisy got permanent illumination for the first time. Besides, decorative outdoor illumination of the cathedral complex and the walls was installed.

During the solemn part of the event, O.N. Simukhina, deputy chairperson of the Committee on the Cultural Heritage Preservation in the Vologda Region, gave Letters of Gratitude and Certificates of Acknowledgment of Vologda Region Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov to the specialists for their large contribution to preservation of the cultural heritage in the Vologda region and longstanding fruitful activity.

The Letter of Gratitude of the Vologda Region Governor was given to: V.S. Novoseltsev, director general of the LLC “OPT-stroy”; A.B. Zamotin, assistant of the construction manager of the LLC “OPT-stroy”; A.S. Kulikov, chief architect of the ANO “National Restoration Centre”; M.I. Lukichev, chief executive officer of the ANO “National Restoration Centre”; M.V. Smirnova, head of the Department of Restoration, Reconstruction and Capital Development in the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve; D.A. Shashmurin, expert on the cultural heritage preservation in the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve; S.Y. Tikhin, head of the restoration work site in Kirillov of the LLC “Electra”; V.V. Korotyshev, restorer of the wooden architecture monuments of the 1st category (6th grade) in the LLC “Electra”.

O.V. Voronicheva, deputy director on restoration in the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve; I.L. Sorokina, chief engineer of the LLC “Electra”; and V.V. Mochalov, deputy director of operations in the LLC “Electra”; were awarded the Certificate of Acknowledgment of the Vologda Region Governor.

Vocalists of the ensemble “Lira” participated in the ceremony. They sang church hymns “Our Father” and “The Jesus’ Prayer”.