Artistic Necropolis as an Object of Historical and Architectural Heritage: Conservation Problems (Russian and European Experience)

Abstract

Sculpture of necropolises of the 18th and other centuries, which is represented by many outstanding works, exposed to the effects of an unfavorable environment, is in danger of irreversible transformation and even destruction. The topic touched upon in the article, despite its relevance, has not currently received proper attention from specialists in the field of restoration. The article combines theoretical research with the extensive practical experience of many generations of restorers in the field of restoration of memorial sculpture. It is no coincidence that the ensemble of the necropolis of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg was chosen as the central monument. The history of its creation, reorganization, museumification, and restoration, carried out in different periods of its existence, reflects the variety of problems connected with the study of monuments of this kind, in which architecture, sculpture, landscape art, and epigraphy form an inseparable whole. In addition, the article examines not only domestic examples but also such memorial ensembles as Assyten Cemetery in Bergen, Norway, 19th-century cemeteries in Berlin, La Villette Cemetery in Parma and the history of their exploitation and preservation. The information presented in this article may be useful for historians of architecture, necropolis, and restoration artists.