The Transfiguration Cathedral at Pskov's Mirozhsky Monastery, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church for use free of charge. The Pskov Museum-Reserve has lost its right of operational management over the cathedral and its 15th- to 19th-century monastic cells. Restorers and museum workers fear that changes in how the cathedral is used could endanger its unique 12th-century frescoes.
The transfer became public on October 23. The museum said it had received notice from a regional office of Russia's Federal Agency for State Property Management that its right of operational management over the federally protected cultural heritage properties had been terminated.
The Mirozhsky Monastery initiated the transfer by applying to the state property agency. Ksenia Chernega, head of the Moscow Patriarchate's legal department, told TASS that the museum had initially opposed the transfer but subsequently agreed to it. She said Russia's Culture Ministry had also approved the decision.
The Transfiguration Cathedral was built in the 12th century and decorated by Byzantine artists. A substantial portion of its original wall paintings survives. The frescoes were later concealed beneath layers of whitewash, and efforts to study and uncover them began in the 19th century.
Modern restoration work at the cathedral has continued since 1992. In 2019, it was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List as part of the Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture.
Experts' principal concerns relate to the need to maintain stable temperatures and humidity inside the building. The wall paintings are sensitive to changes in the indoor environment, and the museum previously restricted visits to the cathedral, including during damp weather.
As Novaya Gazeta Europe reported, citing the Post- project, art historian and restorer Vladimir Sarabyanov, who participated in the cathedral's modern restoration, had previously opposed transferring it to the church. He warned that strict environmental controls were essential to preserving the frescoes.
Ethnographer Elvira Gepting said religious services were already being held inside the cathedral and at least four attendants had been dismissed. According to her, museum employees fear that changes to the building's use could adversely affect the preservation of its paintings.
The information about staffing changes and employees' concerns is attributed to Gepting. No independent documentation establishing the reasons for the dismissals was included in the published reports.
The Pskov Museum-Reserve said it was consulting with the diocese about preserving the cathedral. According to the museum, future restoration work will be carried out by the religious organization, taking account of the museum's experience in maintaining appropriate temperature and humidity conditions and in cooperation with regional cultural heritage authorities.
It remains unclear, however, what specific restrictions on religious services and public access will apply after the transfer, or who will directly monitor the cathedral's internal environment and the condition of the frescoes.
The transfer to the Russian Orthodox Church does not in itself demonstrate that the monument has suffered damage. The concerns raised by specialists relate to the possible consequences of changing how it is used and the need to maintain the existing level of protection for its unique wall paintings.