[MassHistPres] “Wooden Churches in Wartime Ukraine: Conservation Challenges,”

[Dennis De Witt]

You may be interested in an online lecture hosted by the New England Chapter / Society of Architectural Historians  tonight. Register here: https://www.nesah.org/event-6195855 <https://www.vafweb.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=UNUNXq7H%2b%2bnO9olUICHVnX1RwVVimrzIrdKrwVG51QFBWcxb6wFsvf%2fg3JqsYwPXbxvqWG4IM78XJoNuYieOc8CdL1GPCDmRmP7zQOQhuhs%3d>.

Dennis De Witt  NE/SAH

On May 22 at 7 PM, Ukrainian architects Mariana Kaplinska and Ihor Bokalo will present their talk “Wooden Churches in Wartime Ukraine: Conservation Challenges,”which later this month will be presented at the American Institute for Conservation’s 53rd Annual Meeting in Minneapolis.

On May 22 at 7 PM, Ukrainian architects Mariana Kaplinska and Ihor Bokalo will present their talk “Wooden Churches in Wartime Ukraine: Conservation Challenges,” which later this month will be presented at the American Institute for Conservation’s 53rd Annual Meeting in Minneapolis.

The use of wood is an integral part of Ukrainian culture, and the tradition of wooden building technology goes through the whole history of Ukraine. Wooden churches are the quintessence of Ukrainian wooden building tradition; there are thousands of historic wooden churches in Ukraine. Many of them are understudied or introduced into scientific discourse in very general terms, the vast majority are completely unknown in the world, and all of them are endangered today, as the most vulnerable and fragile structures under the threat of Russian attacks.

Since Russia's brutal 2022 invasion, conservation in Ukraine has faced many additional challenges on top of the normal difficulties of preserving wooden architecture. The long-term conservation of heritage buildings requires immediate action, cooperation with emergency services, documentation of damages, and the prioritization of sites according to their past and potential conservation. Kaplinska and Bokalo will present their ongoing project to digitally document valuable and endangered wooden churches in Ukraine. Their work defines the heritage value, architectural typology, threat level and accessibility (proximity to the frontline and to the border with the enemy, artillery strike risk, and the liberation of occupied territories) as criteria for directing conservation efforts. Their presentation will recount their three expeditions undertaken between November 2023 and February 2024 to document the 11 oldest wooden churches in Central, Northern, and Eastern Ukraine, which were 3D-scanned and photo-documented to preserve their appearance in the face of direct shelling threats, and their ongoing work to document another 25 churches in case of their damage or loss.

Kaplinska and Bokalo’s project uses 3D scanning along with photogrammetric surveying to accurately and efficiently document threatened wooden structures in close detail. Their project also represents an initial step towards the further study of Ukrainian wooden churches.

More information about Kaplinska and Bokalo’s work can be read in Karolina Świder’s article, “More Than Buildings,” published by Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research with support from the Knights of Columbus, and linked here <https://www.vafweb.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=72RHrBQmYtV6UovqTE5uAKK96rSA2gYVVmXA33TT6cO88voX%2b%2fpuQfQDuwjphpLwLeFV2LUy78pFnpqkrx2xz26XuJGr6iMww9RVw4BCn8s%3d>.

Mariana Kaplinska is a licensed architect and urban planning professional who has been practicing architecture since 2008. She is an Associate Professor at Uzhhorod National University and also teaches practical classes and lectures on architectural and interior design, historic preservation, architectural conservation, and wooden built heritage conservation at Lviv Polytechnic National University. She has additionally worked as a consultant for Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (London) and as the Head of the Architecture Section at the Klymentiy Sheptytsky Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life in Lviv.  In 2016, Kaplinska defended her PhD thesis, “The Principles of Regeneration for the Market Squares in the Historic Towns and Cities of the Western Region of Ukraine.” Kaplinska is additionally a member of the Ukrainian International Center for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) committee, with a particular focus on the science, theory, and history of architect and issues of cultural heritage preservation.

Ihor Bokalo is also a licensed architect and urban planning professional who began his career as an architect in 2002. Since defending his PhD thesis, Architecture of the Lost Churches in the City of Lviv, in 2010, Bokalo has been Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture and Conservation at Lviv Polytechnic National University. His experience spans a wide range of projects, including architectural conservation, the design of new constructions, major renovations, and urban reconstruction. Beyond conservation projects – including at St. Casimir Church in Lviv and the Holy Spirit Church in Potelych – Ihor has served as the chief architect and main contractor for several large-scale industrial plants; he has participated in numerous grants and programs; and is a member of the Ukranian International Center for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) committee. His primary areas of scientific research include traditional wooden architecture, particularly in the Carpathian region of Ukraine, heritage preservation legislation, and the training and education of heritage preservation professionals.
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