Research and Restoration of the Medieval Murals in Estonian Churches 39

The history of discovering, researching, Research and appraising and restoring medieval Estonian architecture has not yet been Restoration of the written. Wall paintings in medieval churches are no exception. The current Medieval Murals article attempts to offer an overview of the work that has already been done, in Estonian although the overview is by no means comprehensive. The authors aim to Churches delineate the main developments and point out possible future topics of research. Estonian medieval churches were Hilkka Hiiop, Anneli Randla decorated with ornamental, architectural and figurative wall paintings with Summary larger compositions. The paintings have suffered damage in wars and fires, as The aim of the current article is to well as because of changing theology and give an overview of the research and fashion/taste. The majority of medieval restoration of the medieval murals murals known today were painted over in Estonian churches from the early 20th century to the present day. The during the post-Reformation centuries, focus is on the work of Viktor Filatov and by the end of the 19th century they in the 1970s. The article also maps were totally forgotten. Quite by accident, the needs and possibilities of further some fragments came to light during research and conservation. the late 19th century renovation work in the Muhu and Karja churches. The first study of the wall paintings was conducted in 1913 by the architect and art historian Johannes Gahlnbäck, who uncovered and copied the murals in the Muhu and Karja churches. Gahlnbäck published a thorough overview of the work undertaken, describing the paintings, and analysing them from the point of view of style, iconography and technology; he also suggested a relative chronology, i.e. all the methods subsequently used throughout the 20th century. Several of his art historical views have survived to this day, while others have been altered in accordance with the more extensive discovery of paintings. The mechanical method of uncovering the murals Gahlnbäck used is also still used; consolidation technologies were hilkka hiiop, anneli randla 40

not known at that time. It is remarkable reason for reconstructing the destroyed that he worried about preserving the ornamental painting fragments. paintings and emphasised the effect of The wall paintings in the Ridala church interior climate in the buildings, offering were also discovered and restored by various methods to improve the climate. Kjellin, although there is no description or The declaration of the Republic of analysis of that work. The paintings were Estonia considerably changed the local probably reconstructed quite extensively. academic life. The prevailing Baltic After a long gap, the paintings German cultural policy was replaced by again attracted attention at the end of a Scandinavian orientation. The first art the 1950s. On the one hand, this was history professor at the University of connected with researching medieval Tartu, Helge Kjellin, came from Sweden. art for the History of Estonian Art; on the Besides teaching, he was also involved other hand, the dismal condition of the in restoration. Kjellin worked in 1923 paintings necessitated quick restoration. and 1924 in the Karja church, continuing The first new data acquired in Gahlnbäck’s effort, and in 1924 he worked the course of field work and their in the Ridala church. Kjellin published interpretation was provided by Villem the results of his extensive building- Raam. In his article published in 1966, archaeological and art historical research Raam thoroughly analysed the new in Karja church in a monograph in 1928. finds, the most sensational of which As an art historian, Kjellin described, was undoubtedly a décor fragment systematically and in great detail, all the of the exterior of the Kaarma church, revealed wall paintings regardless of their proving that the exteriors of churches significance in the design of the church. He had also been decorated with paintings. also documented the colour traces found The next important period in exposing on sculptural details. This was followed by and restoring medieval wall paintings a stylistic, comparative and iconographic is associated with the activities of two analysis of the motifs of paintings, which professionals: Viktor Filatov, a leading became the chief method in our art expert at the Moscow State Artistic historical research. The most problematic Restoration Central Worksop, and were the ‘magical’ signs found on the vault the chemist Antonina Ivanova. They of the chancel, which in fact offer various worked in the Valjala, Muhu and Kaarma possibilities of interpretation even today. churches between 1969 and 1976. Large- It is of utmost importance that, in scale work was carried out under their restoring the Karja church wall paintings, supervision, mostly by unqualified young Kjellin considered the church as a whole, Estonian artists and art historians. and securing the survival of decorative The paintings were exposed finishing was for him connected with mechanically, and fixed locally with the constructive side of the church, as polyvinyl acetate (PVA) dispersion glues. well as with providing and keeping the The surfaces were repeatedly impregnated right interior climate. No less important with organo-silicate resins, in an effort to was the presentation of the church strengthen the layers of plaster and paint, as an aesthetic entity, which was the and to make the surfaces water-repellent. To achieve reversibility, the retouching Research and Restoration of the Medieval Murals in Estonian Churches 41 was carried out with a water-based The technological method of Filatov- binding medium. As a rule, the employed era restoration now appears controversial technique could be clearly distinguished and, as elsewhere in Europe, has caused from the original (retouching with either numerous negative consequences, vertical strokes or cross-hatching). whereas the quality of his activities From the contemporary viewpoint, theoretically and conceptually cannot the evaluation of the technical restoration be underestimated. His method was methods of Filatov and Ivanova shows at least as up-to-date as the technical them to be rather controversial. It side of restoration, and in this case was a time when the whole of Europe in a positive sense. The manner and was in thrall to the possibilities method in which the whole process was offered by scientific achievements and graphically documented could be a model synthetics, which seemed to solve all for today’s restorers. The condition of preservation problems. The results of the paintings before restoration and all this enthusiasm occasionally became stages of work were recorded in great evident only years or decades later, detail on a scale of 1:20 on millimetre when some of the used substances paper; in order to map the preservation proved unsuitable in the context of scale of the paintings, contact copies historical substance, real environmental of the surviving colour fragments were conditions and the passage of time. produced with tracing paper (1:1). The negative effects in Saaremaa Besides the quality of documentation, became evident during the restoration Filatov’s contribution to restoration on a work. Massive crystallisation of salts theoretical level is highly esteemed. This in newly restored areas occurred in primarily concerns the analysis of values both the Muhu and Kaarma churches, expressed via the aesthetic presentation of and the surface layers (including the paintings or the reintegration method. the paint layers) peeled in Muhu. In cases in which the reconstruction was We can now blame Filatov for using justified, the restorer’s additions can be unsuitable and excessive synthetics but, clearly distinguished from the original, on the other hand, the effectiveness of as he used tone-lighter pigments and/ restoration work and the impact of the or cross-hatching or vertically running substances primarily depend on micro- strokes, both deriving from tratteggio. climatic conditions. The conditions in the When the reconstruction was hypothetical, Saaremaa churches, however, were critical ‘neutral retouch’ was preferred. The choice when Filatov started and when he finished: of the retouching medium relied on the in places there were no windows, the roofs principle of reversibility, and thus a water- leaked, the churches had serious humidity soluble binding medium was used. problems, and green algae was everywhere. Filatov should, first of all, be evaluated Although the restoration method in in the context of his time. His work can, in all three churches was similar, the results any case, be seen as scientific conservation- and consequences varied. The problems restoration, based on modern principles in Muhu have turned out to be rather and developments. Unfortunately, extreme, whereas the conditions in Kaarma the results in the physical sense have and Valjala do not seem to be so dramatic. occasionally proved irrevocable – hilkka hiiop, anneli randla 42

in unsuitable climatic conditions the prefer the conserving, archaeological ‘science’ corresponding to the spirit of the approach, and do minimal reintegration times, in this case synthetic preservatives, or tackle wider aesthetic presentation. might have destroyed the murals instead They primarily attempt to preserve of preserving them. The gravest mistake paintings uncovered underneath the layers made at the time was to uncover the of lime in complicated micro-climatic paintings in conditions where the conditions. Each object requires a different problems of the architectural environment method, depending on the condition in the church could not be solved. of the church and conservation needs, A new period in wall painting but the conservation technology can be restoration was contemporary summarised as follows: paintings are conservation-restoration, starting with a usually uncovered mechanically, plaster change in polity and the relevant cultural is fixed with lime-based consolidants, politics in the early 1990s. New economic paint layers are fixed with Ledan, opportunities emerged, international and the lack of binding substance is professional know-how arrived in Estonia compensated for by acrylic emulsions. and people’s awareness of values increased. Retouchings are carried out minimally, This period was marked by a dramatic mostly only to integrate the added plaster kick-off in 1993 in the Muhu church fills into the surrounding wall space. where, on the initiative of the church and No expertise or conservation method with foreign financial help, large-scale really works unless it is accompanied by renovation work was undertaken by the regulation of the micro-climate of the Swedish construction company Skanska building as a whole. The newly restored Sydost AB. At some point, the whole surfaces are again and again covered by process slipped out of the conservation green algae, which is the first sign of the authorities’ control. As a result, the climatic instability of the building, and choice of unsuitable materials, improper a huge amount of moisture in the walls; work methods and an unqualified several churches have problems with the workforce caused irreparable damage. crystallisation of salts on the surface. Today’s wall painting conservation Another problem is widespread bacteria has mainly been done by two restoration that cause the finishing layers to turn pink. companies: KAR-Grupp (mainly Annely The main task today is still eliminating Miil, Mare Tael and Sirje Sorok) and the consequences rather than the causes, Rändmeister (wall painting specialist Eva trying to find a way to repel micro- Mölder). They have tackled emergency organisms on a short-term basis. Although repairs on the already uncovered wall extensive architectural restoration work paintings in the Muhu church and in has been carried out in churches since the vestry of the Kaarma church. the late 1980s, the interior climate has not In the course of urgent architectural significantly improved. Eliminating the restoration work in churches, a number causes is much more complicated, time- of new polychromy finds have been consuming and expensive; the causes of discovered, partly cleaned and conserved, humidity are also still partly unexplained. for example in Pöide, Hanila, the Kaarma The positive side of today’s nave, Martna and Püha. Both companies conservation and restoration of wall Research and Restoration of the Medieval Murals in Estonian Churches 43 paintings includes the somewhat increased wall paintings in a situation where the number of analytical studies and, financing, planning and realisation of especially, a changed attitude regarding the work do not take into consideration materials – the work no longer includes the whole building, but are limited to only the paintings but also the entire the layers on interior rendering, can interior rendering. Attention has also endanger the survival of one of the most been paid to working out conservation precious sections of our cultural heritage. methods. Within the framework of Although the share of (scientific) some conservation work, chemical research in contemporary Estonian analysis of pigments and binding conservation of murals has increased, media has been carried out, and in most we should actually focus on preventive cases stratigraphical studies have been research that deals with the potential undertaken as well. Unfortunately, these conservation problems of original efforts are cursory, forming just a part of materials and their contents before any the conservation work documentation, action is taken, and not try to eliminate without any interpretation to give it the consequences. Restoration as a proper meaning and value. There is also whole should become fully research- a significant difference between the based, as it is in contemporary European two companies dealing with murals: conservation practices elsewhere. Each Rändmeister invites art historians to take conservation project should be preceded part in their conservation work (at least as by scrupulous study, and financed as a consultants), which has made it possible separate stage of the work. This process to study the finds more thoroughly later. should address the building in its entirety As a result, the cooperation between (micro-climate, structural problems conservators and art historians has etc.), methods of uncovering and produced work that relies on the synthesis conserving the paintings and an analysis of historical, stylistic, iconographic and of original materials and technologies. material-based information about the historical rendering and décor in the Translated by Tiina Randviir Hanila, Kaarma and Martna churches. proof-read by Richard Adang How effective the study of materials can be is evident in the analysis carried out by Werner Schmid and Hilkka Hiiop in Valjala in 2005. They analysed the original materials and technologies of paintings, which enabled them to re-interpret and specify the existing art historical views. Learning from the drawbacks of the past and present conservation practices in Estonia, and relying on European practices, wall paintings and the entire historical finishing should, in fact, be primarily tackled by considering the building as a whole. Uncovering new