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15th - 18th Century Log Churches: Poland
Project Information
- Status:
- In-Progress
- Structure Type:
- Church / Synagogue
References
- Owner:
- Architect:
- General Contractor:
- The Christman Company
Scope Of Work
15th - 18th Century Log Churches: Poland
“Carpathian Wooden Pearls”
Prešov, Slovakia and Krempna, Poland
- Designation:
- Contract Type:
- Scope of Services:
- Completion:
- World Heritage Site
- Restoration/Conservation Master Plans
- Preliminary Workshop and Field Survey
- October 2008
Christman restoration experts helped lead this international team effort to develop master conservation plans for the long-term preservation of 15th to 18th century wood log churches of Eastern Slovakia and Southern Poland. Sponsorship for the initial field study was provided by a grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the World Monuments Fund, administered by the Association for Preservation Technology (APT).
Eastern Europe is the principal refuge for styles and techniques of log building that were once more prevalent in Europe. Within the region of Eastern Slovakia and southeastern Poland in the Borough of Krempna is a collection of 28 Lemko-style wood log churches that reached the apex of the art of the craftsmen who built them.
The structural typology is straightforward and in keeping with the orthodox liturgy. The logs, exposed on the interior, are protected on the outside by wood shingles and batten boards in patterns reminiscent of a plumed bird. The religious art on the iconostasis and interior walls and furnishings is, in each case, an exquisite composition in folk art. The churches are recognized by their respective States as objects of cultural significance.
The recommendations of the conservation master plans will give a definition to the project implementation phase and serve as a basis for further grant applications to public and private organizations in Slovakia, Poland, the United States, and Canada.
