Society and Culture: Unique 17th c. wooden church opens in Kolomenskoye

A unique historical monument, a wooden church of martyr St. George dated 17th c., opened its doors for visitors on June 16, 2011 in Kolomenskoye estate (Moscow).

"The wooden church was built in 1685 on the bank of a small river Yerga, the right tributary of the Northern Dvina River, on donations of parishioners. At the turn of the 1920’s-1930’s the church came into possession of Semyonovsky village council, which set here a club and than a storehouse. The iconostasis of the church and its decoration have not survived", reads the material on the official website of Moscow State Integrated Museum Reserve.

In 2003 on the initiative of an artist of Ilya Glazunov Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture the survived St. George Church was inspected by a team of specialists of Moscow State Integrated Museum Reserve. After that specialists discussed an idea of monument’s delivery to Kolomenskoye for scientific restoration and erection on a new site. Due to efforts undertaken by the museum reserve this idea came true.

In 2008 the church was dismantled and transported to Kolomenskoye.

In 2009 were launched restoration works which were conducted following the technology of late 17th century. In 2010 the church was erected on a new site – in the valley of the river Zhuzha, next to unique monuments of the Museum of Wooden Architecture.