Information about the object:
The wooden St Anthony's Church in Lviv already existed in the first half of the 17th century. Together with the accompanying buildings, it was destroyed during the Cossack siege of Lviv in 1648. It was not until 1669 that the construction of a brick church began. Work on the construction and furnishing continued until 1720, and the church was consecrated in 1739.

The designer was probably an architect brought from Krakow from the Fontan family. The construction involved Fabian and Sebastian Fesinger and Tomas Huetter - Lvov sculptors and architects of German origin, prominent representatives of Lvov rococo sculpture. The benefactors and founders of the church under construction were members of the family of the Wiśniowiecki dukes, who at that time had their palace nearby. After the First Partition of Poland, the church and monastery were suppressed; in 1785 the church became a parish church. The church underwent numerous transformations in the 19th century, and received a new painting decoration in 1893. It probably already had paintings of an allegorical-emblematic composition with a moralising message, addressed above all to the monks.

The Chapel of St Barbara and St Joseph was created in 1904 thanks to the parish priest Wladyslaw Hickiewicz, who "built and furnished it at his own expense". The Baroque-inspired decoration of the interior, created by the Lvov painter and gilder Tadeusz Pelczarski, dates from 1905. The author made stylistic references to Baroque painting and architecture, contributing to the coherence of the interior.

Completed works:

2021
The aim of the project at St Anthony's Church in Lviv was to continue the conservation work begun last year on the polychrome interior of the Chapel of St Barbara and St Joseph.

As part of the 2021 activities, the paint layer was disinfected, consolidated and desalted, and its defects were replenished. The lime-sand plasters in the pilasters and ground floor were restored, and restoration plasters (solo-absorbent) were installed. Missing elements of the polychrome composition were reconstructed and at the same time the architectural details were restored.

The works carried out to date and their further continuation make it possible to halt the processes of destruction of the historic fabric. Another important aspect of the work undertaken is the restoration of the interior's aesthetic qualities and its original artistic design. The chapel has been out of use for several years due to its poor state of preservation and ongoing conservation work in the church. Restoring it to its former splendour will make it possible to return to the old tradition of holding services on the feast of St Barbara and St Joseph. It should also be noted that the conservation of the wall painting in the side chapel is the first such wall conservation project in St Anthony's Church. It is the starting point for starting work in the nave and restoring the original interior design.

2022
The conservation work on the polychromy in the interior of the chapel of St Barbara and St Joseph, begun in 2020, continued in 2022. To date, disinfection, consolidation and desalination of the paint layer have been carried out, later repainting has been removed and cavities have been filled in. The lime-sand plaster in the pilasters and ground floor has been restored and renovation plaster has been installed. In addition, the ventilation and drainage of condensation from the stained glass window were improved.

During the current season, the missing elements of the composition were reconstructed and the losses of the paint layer were filled with dry pigments and ammonium caseinate, the colours of the plinth part were reconstructed and the gilding was restored.

2023
For 2023, the continuation of conservation work is planned in the St Anthony's Church in Lviv; this will be the fourth stage of work in the St Barbara Chapel. The aesthetic conservation of the wall paintings by Tadeusz Pelczarski from 1905 in the window glyphs, on the pilasters and pedestals and the interior of the entrance arch will be completed. Damaged elements of the composition will be reconstructed and losses in the paint layer will be supplemented. The gilding of the architectural detail will also be restored. The stone entrance threshold will be cleaned and protected. The task will also include preparatory work for the continuation of conservation work on the St Barbara's side altar, currently dismantled and stored in the opposite chapel, involving the uncovering of the altar to establish the stratigraphy and original colouring of the architectural elements, and the technical conservation of the altar mensa. Once this year's work has been completed, it will be possible to partially commission the chapel.

Funding: Programme of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage "Protection of Cultural Heritage Abroad".

More about the project: https://polonika.pl

https://polonika.pl

https://polonika.pl

• Fundacja Dziedzictwo Kresowe im. Orląt Lwowskich, realizacja w latach 2021-2023.