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The Lost Churches of Russia: Haunting Images of Abandoned Wooden Buildings in Remote Forests
The Daily Mail (UK) ^ | 12/22/12 | Anna Edwards

Posted on 12/27/2012 7:37:29 AM PST by marshmallow

Edited on 12/27/2012 8:12:52 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]

Crumbling and abandoned, the last remnants of Russia's wooden churches lay dotted in the woodlands of the country's north-western corner.

Forgotten by many and in the process of being reclaimed by nature, the few remaining churches are exposed to the harsh elements without any hope of being salvaged.

But one photographer is determined to capture pictures of the forgotten structures - with sometimes haunting results.

Richard Davies spent nine years tracking down the lost churches, and produced a book with the stunning photographs.

Along with the photographs, there are first-hand accounts by Matilda Moreton of their project, and the insights and interpretations of writers and artists, travellers and historians, propagandists and politicians.

In his book Wooden Churches - Travelling in the Russian North, it says that the churches are the few remains of thousands that were built all over Russia from the time of Prince Vladimir, who, on his conversion to Christianity in 988 'ordained that wooden churches should be built and established where pagan idols had previously stood.'

The majority are clustered in the north-west corner, and bunched in certain areas like Leningrad, Vologda, Murmansk, and Archangel Regions and the Republic of Karelia.


TOPICS: General Discusssion; History; Orthodox Christian; Worship
KEYWORDS: churches; russia; woodenchurches
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To see more of Richard Davies stunning work, visit Wooden Churches Travelling in the Russian North 100 years after Bilibin
1 posted on 12/27/2012 7:37:35 AM PST by marshmallow
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To: don-o

Those wooden churches again — circa Vladimir.


2 posted on 12/27/2012 7:39:50 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (May the Lord bless you, May the Lord keep you, May He turn to you His countenance and give you peace)
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To: marshmallow

Europe in general has become soooooooooo secular, if weren’t for the tourists, even the great cathedrals would become abandoned and fall into disrepair.


3 posted on 12/27/2012 7:49:32 AM PST by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
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To: marshmallow

The recent photos are touching base with 100 year old photos. Preservation was hit and mostly miss.

Someday, all we will have left are the images as Russia de populates and de Christianizes.


4 posted on 12/27/2012 7:50:36 AM PST by cicero2k
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To: marshmallow

Too bad Christian organizations couldn’t band together some resources and renovate these old churches.


5 posted on 12/27/2012 8:03:13 AM PST by ScottinVA (More dizzying than a Tilt-a-Whirl is an around-a-circle argument with a liberal about gun control.)
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To: marshmallow
On the flipside, here's an interesting story of what some enterprising folks did with a 16th Century Spanish monastery. Stone by stone, they rebuilt it in Tehama County, California.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Medieval-church-finds-home-in-California-4145608.php

6 posted on 12/27/2012 8:05:12 AM PST by ScottinVA (More dizzying than a Tilt-a-Whirl is an around-a-circle argument with a liberal about gun control.)
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To: marshmallow

bump


7 posted on 12/27/2012 8:06:35 AM PST by B.O. Plenty (Elections have consequences....)
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To: marshmallow

Great pictures. I have heard stories about how the communists went to churches and stole everything of value. They then killed the priests and any parishioners who tried to stop them. It is amazing that these churches survive. It is also amazing how a strong Christianity survives in the former Soviet Union.


8 posted on 12/27/2012 8:27:35 AM PST by detective
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To: marshmallow

Thanks for posting. Those photos are beautiful. There is a revival so to speak happening in Russia today. They are Roman Catholic (obviously) and Putin seems to be allowing them all the freedoms they want in that respect. Nice to see, but bitter sweet as our religious freedoms are being stripped away.


9 posted on 12/27/2012 8:31:15 AM PST by sevinufnine (Sevin - "If we do not fight when we know we can win, we'll have to fight when we know we will lose")
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To: marshmallow

I am a commercial general contractor and log home builder, and the log engineering and detail in these old structures is amazing. Cannot believe how tight the seams are between the logs after so many years. These all had to be built before the revolution which makes them late 1800’s, very early 1900’s.......while some of the higher structures are collapsing, most of the lower structures are amazingly solid and tight.

Wonder if the Russian log builders weren’t better at it than American ones....I’ve seen quite a few 100+ year old log structures here, and none were as tight as these........

Kinda sad tho....seeing their decay.

Thanks for this great post.


10 posted on 12/27/2012 8:33:39 AM PST by Arlis (.)
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To: marshmallow

Beautiful, thank you


11 posted on 12/27/2012 8:43:14 AM PST by annieokie
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To: sevinufnine

They are Russian Orthodox, not Roman Catholic.


12 posted on 12/27/2012 8:44:51 AM PST by WashingtonSource
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To: Arlis

Some them go back to the 17th Century. Of course, maintenance and upkeep would have stopped in the 1920’s or 30’s. They’re all in the Arctic, which accounts for some of their excellent state of preservation.


13 posted on 12/27/2012 8:46:39 AM PST by Campion ("Social justice" begins in the womb)
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To: Arlis

“am a commercial general contractor and log home builder, and the log engineering and detail in these old structures is amazing. Cannot believe how tight the seams are between the logs after so many years.”

My husband is a custom framer but works now and then building log homes. He tells me the trees they used to use were older and cured longer. Today the trees are younger and not cured as long...so the wood can “bend” as it’s not fully cured and the pitch or tar used in the old days for sealing was MUCH better than the cheap crap used today.

If you look at the captions it tells how old the structures are. Some as old as early 1600’s and I believe one was late 1500’s.


14 posted on 12/27/2012 8:47:57 AM PST by sevinufnine (Sevin - "If we do not fight when we know we can win, we'll have to fight when we know we will lose")
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To: WashingtonSource

Ok, thx! Being of protestant background I get confused on the flavors of the Catholic church so to speak :>) Regardless...the Catholic churches are normally works of art.


15 posted on 12/27/2012 8:51:50 AM PST by sevinufnine (Sevin - "If we do not fight when we know we can win, we'll have to fight when we know we will lose")
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To: marshmallow

How have so many of these avoided lightning strikes / wildfires?


16 posted on 12/27/2012 8:56:33 AM PST by StAnDeliver (Own It.)
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To: StAnDeliver
How have so many of these avoided lightning strikes / wildfires?

I don't know, but Communism, at least in Russia, is on the ash heap.

17 posted on 12/27/2012 9:15:29 AM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: marshmallow

That looks so incredibly cold. I need some coffee now.


18 posted on 12/27/2012 10:45:56 AM PST by Tax-chick (Peace to people of good will.)
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To: marshmallow

Incredible churches!

I pray that Russians reclaim their heritage.

Looks like some of the churches have had efforts of preservation. Others look like they are being used.


19 posted on 12/27/2012 11:00:32 AM PST by Chickensoup (Leftist Totalitarian Fascism coming to a country like yours.)
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To: marshmallow

Great Photos!

I read MANY years ago that most of these churches were constructed by the village craftsmen using only one tool..a small axe.

It makes their construction even more amazing.


20 posted on 12/27/2012 11:58:40 AM PST by left that other site (Worry is the Darkroom that Develops Negatives.)
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