MINSK, 9 January (BelTA) – The project to renovate the 12th century Sts Boris and Gleb Kalozha Church, one of Belarus' oldest functioning churches, has been completed, BelTA has learned.
The ceiling and floor in the altar part have been replaced, the inner side of the wooden wall refined and a balcony and a gallery built.
“It is important that the temple now lives a full life. Absolutely everyone who visits the church gushes over the quality of the work done. Today we would like to thank everyone who was involved in the project to bring the church to its former glory,” head of Kalozha Church Archpriest Alexander Bolonnikov said. It was exciting but painstaking work, he added.
The project was carried out by the Grodnozhilstroi specialists with the support from the design bureau Grodnograzhdanproekt Institute and the Grodno regional administration.
This project was a continuation of the major repairs launched in early 2018. Back then 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. The repair works were financed from the president's fund for culture and art, the Grodno Oblast budget and sponsors' donations.
“Do no harm was our main principle. The culture ministry followed closely the course of the project. The church is a valuable architectural site not only for Grodno but for the international community. Designers and building specialists did a great job and coped well with the task,” said Elena Klimovich, the head of the culture department of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee. She informed that an archaeological window will soon be built in the Kalozha Church so that visitors could see a fragment of the basement and remnants of the ancient column.
There is also an ongoing discussion on the conservation of the stone part of the church and on the stabilization of the temperature and humidity regime. Various options, the international experience and conservation technologies are being considered.
