In 2003, conservation work began at St Louis’s Church. The conservation of the oil painting from the high altar, which took place between 2003 and 2005 under the supervision of Józef Steciński, was an extremely difficult undertaking. For years, the highly distinguished figure in Krasław, the dean and parish priest of St Louis’s Church, Monsignor Józef Łapkowski (Jazeps Lapkovskis; 1920–2005), who had rendered great service to Krasław. The organisational aspects of the project were handled by the Centre for Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad of the ‘Wspólnota Polska’ Association.

Work on St Louis’s Church was carried out in consultation with the Latvian State Inspectorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (Valsts kulturas pieminekl u aizsardzibas inspekcija), with the assistance of the Polish Embassy in Riga, as well as the parish priest, the Parish Council and the municipal authorities of Krasław.

The conservation of the enormous canvas *St Louis Setting Out on a Crusade* ( without its frame, the painting measures 695 x 328 cm) was financed by the Polish Senate and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The conservation work, which began in 2003 and was carried out by a team of conservators under Steciński’s supervision, was preceded by expert assessments as well as chemical and microbiological analyses. This confirmed the urgent need for specialist intervention, as had previously been indicated by damage to the paint layer, the canvas and the frame caused by destruction during the Second World War, a damp climate and inadequate ventilation in the church.

The conservation of the painting’s historic frame was carried out by Józef Steciński using funds provided by the Latvian State Inspection for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Thanks to the funds provided by the Latvian side, art conservator Kristīne Širvinskas restored a mural by Filippo Castaldi (1730–1814) discovered on the wall at the end of the chancel.

By decision of the church authorities, the oil painting *Saint Louis Setting Out on a Crusade* was moved to the south wall of the chancel. Castaldi’s fresco is now on display in the high altar . Conservators also looked behind the paintings on the side altars. Traces of wall paintings were discovered there as well.

Father Łapkowski died shortly before the restoration of the painting ‘based on a sketch’ by Jan Matejko (1838–1893) was completed. Following his death, the historic church and parish of St Louis in Krasław were looked after by Father Martins Kluss, whose pastoral duties were taken over in January 2006 by Father Edward Woroniecki (Eduards Voroneckis).

The ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the parish of St Louis led to the discovery of further paintings by Castaldi and the complete restoration of the high altar, carried out by a Polish-Latvian team of conservators led by Tomasz Dziurawiec, with Dmitrijs Laščetko representing the Latvian side. Funding for the project was provided by the Programme of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

Thanks to the 12-year project, which began in 2003, and which was officially concluded in 2015, thanks to the support and commitment of many individuals and institutions from both countries, it was possible to restore one of the most beautiful and valuable monuments of the shared Polish-Latvian cultural heritage.

The project was made possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Latvia, the Latvian State Inspectorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the Latvian State Fund for the Support of Culture, the ‘Wspólnota Polska’ Association, Bishop Jānis Bulis of the Diocese of Rēzekne and Aglona, the priests of St Louis’s Church in Krasław, local authorities, as well as the close cooperation between Polish and Latvian conservationists.

Work carried out in 2018

In 2018, the Polonika Institute joined the project. The 19th-century side altar, featuring a painting of the Virgin Mary by Józef Peszka ( 1767–1831), was restored by a team of conservators led by Tomasz Dziurawiec. The project was carried out in collaboration with the Association for Polish Education and Culture.

Organiser: the Association for Polish Education and Culture

Work carried out in 2019

In 2019, the Polonika Institute continued the work undertaken in the church in 2018. Funding was provided for conservation work on the second 19th-century brick side altar of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which serves as a counterpart to the altar featuring the painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa. During the works, overpainting was removed, mortar losses in the upper part of the altar were filled in, and the painting, two frames and the silver mount were subjected to full conservation and restoration.

Contractor: Association for Polish Education and Culture

Work carried out in 2020

In 2020, conservation work continued on the side altar of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , a Classicist -style altar in the shape of a rectangle topped by a tympanum, constructed as a masonry structure with stucco elements.

The aim of the conservation work was to restore the altar to its original appearance whilst preserving the first historical layer of tempera polychromy, together with the gilding.

The works have been completed.

Client: St Louis’s Parish in Krasław

Work carried out in 2024

A painting depicting St Donatus, located on the north wall of the side chapel where the saint’s relics are kept, was restored. Brought in 1778 from the Roman catacombs of St Lawrence’s remains were initially placed in the palace chapel; however, as early as 1784, following the construction of a chapel next to the church funded by Augusta Plater, née Ogińska, they were ceremonially transferred.

In their new location, the relics were enshrined in a magnificent architectural altar, behind which a painting of St Donatus is displayed.

In accordance with the iconography, St Donatus was depicted as a Roman legionary holding a palm frond and a sword. According to tradition, the saint helped to extinguish a fire in the church after it had been struck by lightning; hence, he was regarded as the patron saint protecting against conflagration, hailstorms and rains that destroy crops.

The painting was painted in 1862 by Carl Schwiemer based on a painting by Simon Vouet ( 1590–1649) ‘The Apotheosis of St Theodore’ (1627, now in the collection of the Dresden Gallery).

The condition of the work was poor. Above all, the painting required straightening and proper tensioning. It was necessary to repair the joinery of the original 19th-century stretcher frames so that they could provide an effective support system for this large-format work. During the work, the front and back of the painting were cleaned of surface dirt and dust, splashes were removed, flaking paint was consolidated in areas of mechanical damage, and missing areas were filled in and imitative retouching was carried out.

A full conservation and restoration of the frame was carried out, involving the strengthening of the wooden structure, cleaning of the surface, consolidation of the gilding, and reconstruction of lost decorative elements. The finial, in the form of the Eye of Providence in a halo, required complete reconstruction and technical (joinery) work. On this element, the silver plating of the rays and the gilding of the Eye itself were restored.

Contractor: PERSPECTO – CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC MONUMENTS Katarzyna Górecka-Ruszel

Work carried out in 2025

In 2025 , the paintings depicting the founders – created, like the interior paintings, by Filippo Castaldi – underwent conservation . The portraits were originally housed in the Plater Library building and now adorn the walls of the church choir.

The frames for these paintings were made of pine wood, whilst the carved elements in the corners, on the finials and on the lower mouldings were most likely made of lime wood. As this is a perishable material, the frames were in a poor condition. The wood was severely dried out, which had caused the structure to become loose. Numerous cracks were visible in the ornamentation, and some of the details had been completely destroyed.

The surface of the frames was soiled, had turned greyish, and was covered with secondary layers of paint imitating gilding (so-called ‘browns’), which detracted from the original character and aesthetic appeal of the objects. On the reverse side, numerous signs of wood-boring insects were visible.

The frames were disinfected and treated for pests, after which the secondary gilding and layers of primer were removed using chemical and mechanical methods. After the wood had been treated, the structural joints of the frames were repaired and stabilised, and new angle brackets were fitted. Larger areas of missing wood were filled with wood-filling patches, whilst smaller areas were filled with wood-like putty. Several layers of primer were applied to the surfaces, which were then hand-finished to restore the frames’ original appearance.

In the final stage, a layer of pulment – finely ground clay mixed with adhesive – was applied to the frames, which were then gilded once more. Some elements were polished to a high sheen, whilst others were left with a matt finish.

Contractor: Art Studio Konserwacja Zabytków Małgorzata Paździora-Sattler.

The conservation work was carried out as part of the Polonika Institute’s strategic programme ‘Protection of Polish cultural heritage abroad’.