VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION INSTITUTE Jolita Butkevi čien ÷ TRENDS IN THE LITHUANIAN HERITAGE CONSERVATION OF MASONRY ARCHITECTURE DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD Summary of Doctoral Dissertation Humanities, Art Studies ( 03 H ) Kaunas, 2009 The right of doctoral studies was granted to Vytautas Magnus University jointly with the Architecture and Construction Institute on July 15, 2003, by decision No. 926 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. The doctoral dissertation worked out trough 2003 – 2009 at Vytautas Magnus University Scientific supervisor: Prof. habil dr. Vytautas Levandauskas (Vytautas Magnus University Humanities, Art Studies 03 H ) Council of defence of the doctoral dissertation: Chairman: Prof. dr. Nijol÷ Lukšionyt÷ (Vytautas Magnus University, Humanities, Art Studies 03 H ) Members: Prof. dr. Laima Šinkūnait÷ (Vytautas Magnus University Humanities, Art Studies 03 H ) Prof. habil. dr. Vladas Stauskas (Vytautas Magnus University, Humanities, Art Studies 03 H ) Doc. dr. Vytautas Petrušonis (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Humanities, Art Studies 03 H ) Doc. dr. Rasa Čepaitien÷ (The Lithuanian Institute of History, Humanities, History 05 H) Opponents: Doc. dr. Mindaugas Bertašius (Kaunas University of Technology, Humanities, History 05 H) Dr. Marija Dr÷mait÷ (Vilnius University Humanities, Art Studies 03 H ) The official defence of the dissertation will be held at public meeting of the Council of scientific Field of Art Studies in the Art Institute of Vytautas Magnus University in Laisv÷s av. 53, “Art Gallery 101”, at 2 p. m. on January 29, 2010. Address:K. Donelaičio 58, LT 44248, Kaunas, Lithuania Phone: (+370 37) 323599 fax: (+370 37) 203858 The summary of doctoral dissertation was distributed on December ,2009. The dissertation is available at the National M. Mažvydas library, library of Vytautas Magnus University and library of Architecture and Construction Institute VYTAUTO DIDŽIOJO UNIVERSITETAS ARCHITEKTŪROS IR STATYBOS INSTITUTAS Jolita Butkevičien÷ LIETUVOS MŪRINöS ARCHITEKTŪROS PAVELDOTVARKOS TENDENCIJOS SOVIETMEČIU Daktaro disertacijos santrauka Humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra (03 H) KAUNAS, 2009 Doktorantūros ir daktaro mokslo laipsnių suteikimo teis÷ suteikta Vytauto Didžiojo universitetui kartu su Architektūros ir statybos institutu 2003 m. liepos 15 d. Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausyb÷s nutarimu Nr.926. Disertacija parašyta Vytauto Didžiojo universitete 2003-2009 metais. Disertacijos vadovas: Prof. habil.dr. Vytautas Levandauskas (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra 03 H) Disertacijos gynimo taryba: Pirminink÷: Prof. dr. Nijol÷ Lukšionyt÷ (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra 03 H) Nariai: Prof. dr. Laima Šinkūnait÷ (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra 03 H) Prof. habil. dr. Vladas Stauskas (Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra 03 H) Doc. dr. Vytautas Petrušonis, (Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra 03 H) Doc. dr. Rasa Čepaitien÷ (Lietuvos Istorijos institutas humanitariniai mokslai, istorija 05 H) Oponentai Doc. dr. Mindaugas Bertašius (Kauno Technologijos universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, istorija, 05 H) Dr. Marija Dr÷mait÷ (Vilniaus universitetas, humanitariniai mokslai, menotyra 03 H) Disertacija bus giname viešame Menotyros mokslo krypties tarybos pos÷dyje, kuris įvyks, 2010 m. sausio 29 d. 14 val. Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto „Menų galerijoje 101“, Laisv÷s al. 53. Adresas: Donelaičiog. 58, Kaunas 44248 Tel: (8 37) 323599, faksas (8 37) 203858 Disertacijos santrauka išsiųsta 2009 gruodžio d. Su disertacija galima susipažinti Lietuvos nacionalin÷je M. Mažvydo, Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto, Architektūros ir statybos instituto bibliotekose. INTRODUCTION Cultural heritage is a living witness of our past preserving traces of well-known or long-forgotten events. By touching riches of culture one can unveil a lot of mysteries and understand who we were, are and will be. Architectural heritage at this cognition process of history occupies an exceptional place, since our Old Towns’ buildings counting hundreds of years are open to a constant contact with public. Although building architecture of Lithuanian historical towns has been changed not once in the flow of ages, nevertheless, in most of them, at least partly, valuable fragments that are several centuries old have survived. The problem of the research. In the second half of the 20 th century in Lithuania first consistent and integrated works of heritage maintenance were started. The islands of Trakai and Biržai castles were rebuilt and restored buildings of the Old Towns of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaip ÷da and K ÷dainiai revealed the past of our architectural heritage. Having removed the layers that had formed in the 19th – the beginning of the 20 th centuries, old architectural strata were uncovered and Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture was raised from forgetfulness. A lot of buildings reconstructed and restored during the Soviet times have become the most important foci of our Old Towns. In the monograph History of Lithuanian Architecture they are presented as authentic Gothic and Renaissance creations. Although several decades have already passed, these objects have not been thoroughly researched and assessed from the viewpoint of restoration methodology thus far. Therefore, today two salient problems are emerging: 1) whether these paradigmatical examples of architecture indeed repeat a former look of originals; 2) unidentified past mistakes of heritage conservation create a favourable environment for the spread of the same mistakes. The object of the research. Reconstructed and restored buildings represent the Lithuanian architecture of the 15 th – 18 th centuries. The research of these objects enables a physical and spiritual touching on the past: the change of architectural forms reveals the development of creative thought; decorative elements ornamenting facades of dwelling-houses illustrate prevailing aesthetic views of the time and witness economic rises; and charred fragments of bricks remind us of wars and fires that have raged over the country. A great deal of information can be read on walls of buildings; however, whether it is objective will depend on the authenticity of the material researched. Consequently, it is very important to know whether restored buildings reveal for us primary information and to be aware of what is genuine, what is recreated or just a created imitation of the middle of the 20 th century. Thus the object of the present scientific work is the conservation of Lithuanian masonry architectural heritage during the Soviet period (1950 – 1990 m.) with the main attention being focused on the work of reconstruction and restoration, the analysis of scientific validity, the investigation of the authenticity of the form of recreated fragments and the establishment of the survival of historical material (in the sense of form and substance). The Soviet period is being defined from 1950, since that year consistent works of architectural heritage conservation were started. Relevance and novelty. As several decades have passed since first works of heritage conservation were started, it is necessary to turn back and to thoroughly analyse and assess objects that were reconstructed and restored during the Soviet times, for till now this has been done rather fragmentarily and superficially. During the Soviet period the conservation of architectural heritage was discussed in press and scientific conferences, however, at that time only the positive side of the work carried out was 5 being stated, a considerable attention was paid to statistical presentation and one did not go deep into the validity of conducted scientific work and the main problems related to the authenticity of recreated architectural composition and preservation of original substance were not realized and identified. Such an attitude towards architectural heritage conservation shows that its significance and direct influence on the spread of values lying in objects of architectural heritage were not properly perceived. Therefore, the present study attempts to fill the emerged gap hoping that the conducted analysis and conclusions provided will help to prevent a possible spread of the same and till now unidentified mistakes. The aim. The all enumerated factors have dictated the aim of the present work which is building on contemporary theories of heritage conservation to assess the reconstruction and restoration of Lithuanian masonry architectural heritage during the Soviet period. In order to reach the given aim the following main tasks have been set for the work : 1) To survey and assess the development of European heritage conservation and international documents regulating activities of heritage conservation; 2) To discuss the situation of heritage conservation in the interwar Lithuania; 3) To investigate and assess the theoretical works on heritage conservation in Lithuania published during the Soviet period (1950 – 1990); 4) To classify objects according to the types of heritage conservation work and to explore them; 5) To distinguish and assess the ways used for the recreation of parts of architectural structures and to analyse examples ascribable to them; 6) To assess the work on heritage conservation conducted during the Soviet period; 7) To ascertain and identify historical, cultural and political causes that made influence on the architectural