Emergency conservation work at the Metropolitan Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lviv.

Co-funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state-run special-purpose fund.

The Association has begun work on a project entitled “Necessary conservation work on the side altar of the ‘Transfiguration’ in the Latin Cathedral in Lviv. Phase I” is being carried out under the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage’s programme “Protection of Cultural Heritage Abroad”, operated by the POLONIKA National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad. The grant amounts to PLN 100,000.

The object identified in the Association’s application is the side altar of the ‘Transfiguration of the Lord’, which was created in the second half of the 18th century alongside the high altar and the second side altar (of the Holy Trinity). The creator of all three altars was Piotr Polejowski, born in 1734, an outstanding sculptor and architect from Lviv. This artist is regarded as a pupil of Jan Pinzel. The decorative stucco layer of the altar is in a satisfactory condition, whereas all wooden elements (both those serving a structural function and works of art, such as gilded woodcarvings and sculptures) are in a far worse condition – the structure of the wood has been significantly damaged and weakened by pests. In view of the above, this year’s conservation work will primarily involve:

1. preventing further deterioration of the structure by eliminating insect habitats, and stabilising and reinforcing the structural elements and layers by improving their mechanical properties.

2. dismantling the sculptures and commencing ex situ work: structural reinforcement of the wood, and the identification and removal of paint layers foreign to the original.

3. dismantling the gilded woodcarving elements and subjecting them to treatments analogous to those to be applied to the sculptures.

The outcome of this year’s work will be, in addition to the aforementioned diagnostic and intervention measures, the verification and refinement of the restoration programme aimed at restoring the monument to its former glory, a goal the Society will strive to achieve in the coming years.