In Chersonese Tauride — classes for theologians

In the museum-reserve practice 16 of students studying in the framework of the master’s program «Theology» of the Sevastopol State University (SevGU). Employees of Tauric Chersonesos conduct classes with students on the history of the ancient city and its archaeological sites, paying special attention to the role of Kherson / Korsun in the development of Russian Orthodoxy.

Today, a lesson for theologians was held by P. A. Zhukova, an artist-restorer of the museum-reserve. Polina Alekseevna spoke about the technique of monumental painting on dry and wet plaster and about the process of reconstructing early Byzantine frescoes. Master’s students were able to see the early Christian fresco, which is in work, made on dry plaster. This artifact was found by archaeologists during excavations of a cave complex on Maiden Mountain. Restoration artists studied and strengthened the fragments, and over the past two years, Polina Alekseevna has been carrying out a long and painstaking work on compiling disparate elements into a single image. In order for students to understand what result the restorers strive for in their painstaking and laborious work, in the Byzantine exposition of the museum-reserve they were shown a fresco depicting the Mother of God with the Child, made by a Constantinople master in the best traditions of the Palaiologan Renaissance, and told about the history of the find and the stages of its reconstruction , — reported in the press service of the Government of Sevastopol.

During the internship, undergraduates will write an analytical work on one of the archaeological sites of Tauric Chersonesos. In this they will be helped by the scientific staff of the museum-reserve; students will also have the opportunity to work with documents, photographs and drawings of the Christian churches of Chersonesos, which are in the scientific archive and library of the cultural institution.

Priest Igor Grigoriev shared his impressions of the internship: “I chose the Temple on the Vaults as the theme of my work, a monument that is interesting to me for its history and significance. In the course of practice, we learn a lot of new information about Chersonese, the stages of its formation and the most important events of its life. Today’s lesson is interesting for its practical significance, because until this day I have not immersed myself in the field of restoration, techniques and methods used by artists to restore a particular artifact. ”

Classes for undergraduates in the museum-reserve will last until the end of December. We hope that the internship for the students of the department «Theology and Religious Studies» will be useful and interesting, and the cooperation between Tauric Chersonesos and SevGU will be fruitful and long-lasting.

16source: Development Department of the State Museum-Reserve Tauric Chersonese