The Ethnology Notebooks. 2026. № 2 (188), 450—459
UDK: 7.025.3:73
- Received: 01.03.2026
- Accepted: 12.03.2026
- Published: ??.??.2026
WOODEN POLYCHROME SCULPTURE IN THE DECORATIVE PROGRAM OF THE CHURCH OF THE SYNAXIS OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS IN BATIATYCHI VILLAGE: CONSERVATION DIAGNOSTICS
SAVCHYSHYN Andrii
- ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0914-979X
- PhD student, Lviv Polytechnic National University,
- Department of Archtecture and Conservation,
- 12, Bandery Str., 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
- Contacts: e-mail: Stone1257@gmail.com
Abstract. The article examines sacred wooden polychrome sculpture from the second half of the eighteenth century within the decorative program of the Church of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos (Batiatychi village, Lviv region, Ukraine). The interior sculptural corpus is interpreted, in the historical, architectural, and artistic context of the monument, as an integral ensemble. The study focuses on conservation diagnostics (documentation of the current condition) and on defining preservation objectives.
The presentation follows a trajectory from the ensemble to a focal object. The interior’s sculptural components (full-length figures, angels, putti/cherubim, and carved ornament) within the altar and iconostasis complexes are outlined as a coherent system. Artistic-stylistic, iconographic, technical-constructive, and material characteristics are examined in detail through a representative case: one sculpture from the pair of kneeling angels in the reredos ensemble, selected as a reference object for conservation assessment.
The research is based on visual examination and instrumental documentation, including mechanical probing in selected areas. It also draws on laboratory results recorded in expert documentation. Within the case study, the stylistic and iconographic context is correlated with making technique, constructive solutions, and the object’s «surface history» (stratification, renewals, and later interventions). The objects were documented using 3D scanning, enabling calculation of surface-area parameters. The study demonstrates that the polychrome and coloristic principles, as well as the pattern of renewals, display clear signs of shared and synchronous development across the sculptural corpus, which directly informs conservation decision-making and defines acceptable intervention limits. The findings provide a basis for scaling the analyses to the entire sculptural program of the church and for developing a conservation strategy for preserving the ensemble.
Keywords: cultural heritage; wooden polychrome sculpture; Church of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos (Batiatychi village); restoration; conservation.
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