16th-century Byzantine Frescoes from Supraśl In the Light of Conservation Documentation - the History of Destruction

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the history of the unique 16th-century Byzantine frescoes in Suprasl. Here we find an attempt of determining an exact date of accomplishment of the interior wall ornamentation (as well as establishing its authorship) in the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation of the Mother of God in Suprasl. The main part of the text contains a description of the successive stages of polychromy degradation that started with the damages caused by new elements of the interior decoration added in the seventeenth century (iconostasis, side altars) and was continued in the 18th century when the large parts of the frescoes were panelled. Later on the profound alteration of the architectural and painting of the presbytery was made. It ended with almost complete destruction of the frescoes during the World War II. The part of the text also mentions the restorative treatments conducted on this monument since the end of the 19th century. Here we can also find the study of preserving the extant fragments of the paintings during the post-war times. The analysis of the conservatory measures and their documentation taken between 1964–1965 (66) as well as in 2012 and 2014 closes the article.