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GRODNO, 30 November (BelTA) – Kalozha Church, one of the oldest temples in Belarus, will reopen after major renovations in mid-December, head of Kalozha Church Archpriest Alexander Bolonnikov told BelTA.

The international conference “Saints Boris and Gleb Kalozha Church: conservation options” opened in Grodno on 30 November. It brought together scholars and experts from Belarus, Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania.

“This is the third conference. The previous two were held in 2015 and 2016 respectively. They were instrumental in helping choose the final project to overhaul the church. The temple will reopen after renovations in mid-December. Today, the conference is set to analyze the repair of the wooden structures of the temple and landscaping of the surrounding area,” said Alexander Bolonnikov. Major repairs of the wooden wall of the temple were completed in early 2018. The bearing capacity of the building frame was restored. The wall was aligned both horizontally and vertically, the facade cladding was replaced. The areas around the temple were landscaped. Now work is being completed inside the Kalozha Church: the ceiling and the floor in the altar area have been replaced. Work is underway on the balcony and gallery.

Participants of the conference focused their attention on the analysis of the opinions of scientists and specialists on the conservation of the stone part of the church, the stabilization of the temperature and humidity regime, and the experience of neighboring countries in preserving architectural monuments of the kind.

“Kalozha Church is a unique specimen of architecture. It is one of the few surviving objects of the 12th century. Kalozha Church has hardly any analogues outside Grodno. It is important to carry out restoration works that will help keep every piece of the history. I am confident that further research will bring a lot of discoveries,” said Evgeny Torshin, the head of the architectural archeology section of the State Hermitage Museum.

One of the central issues on the agenda of the conference will be the preparation of a nomination file for the inscribtion of Kalozha Church and other monuments of Grodno Oblast on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The participants of the conference are set to visit the village of Murovanka in Shchuchin District which is home to the church of the 16th century, another nominee for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.