In the southern courtyard of the Armenian Cathedral in Lviv is a magnificent monument: an 18th-century polychrome wooden sculptural composition depicting the crucified Christ and two female figures: Mother of God and Mary Magdalene. The precise time of creation of this work of art is not known; the object probably dates from the mid-18th century.

Wooden Golgotha in Lviv - a unique monument
. A wide, richly profiled larch frame is placed in a specially made niche (grotto) in the façade of the building to which the Golgotha is adjacent. The composition is enclosed on the sides by wooden walls, so-called cheek walls, and is covered from above by a steep shingled roof. The structure was made of lime, pine, oak and larch wood. Traditional carpentry joints were used and some of the elements were joined together using wrought iron nails.

Polychrome boulders and floral details carved in linden wood provide the background for the sculptural decoration. The carving elements have been nailed to the relief-carved background. Under the eaves of the roof, at the front, a row of lambrequins with brackets has been placed. Below this a flowing drapery has been carved. Pinned up the centre it descends symmetrically on both sides to the cheek walls of Golgotha, where it is tied with a knot in the shape of a simplified volute. The walls enclosing the composition were originally painted with a malachite blue-green paint. The monumental composition (dimensions: 750 cm high, 390 cm wide and 127 cm deep) sits on two steps made of several limestone epitaph slabs from the cathedral cemetery, which were reused here.

Golgotha in the Armenian Cathedral - a complex history
The history of Golgotha has not been fully researched and recognised. It is certainly as multifaceted as the technology of its construction. Cultic representations related to the mystery of the Passion, erected outside temples, have a late medieval origin and are not rare. Examples of these include the Garden of Olives chapel at St Barbara's Church in Kraków, or the sculptural group 'Crucifixion' at St Mark's Church (also in Kraków). It can be presumed that the creation of Golgotha at the Armenian Cathedral in Lviv - presumably in the second half of the 18th century. - was a manifestation of the process of grassroots Latinisation of the Armenian Church in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Lviv's Golgotha is not a homogeneous object. The oldest sculpture, depicting the Crucifixion, may be of late-Gothic origin, while the late-Baroque statues of the Mother of God and Mary Magdalene are later and were probably reused. From archival photographs, we can infer the presence of yet another sculpture: the figure of the recumbent Christ in the characteristic pose of being laid in the tomb. Unfortunately, this figure has not survived to the present day. Perhaps, therefore, at one time Golgotha functioned as a kind of Lord's Tomb.

In addition to the natural influence of destructive atmospheric conditions, the Golgotha was severely damaged during several fires, which most severely etched the lower parts of its woodcarving and polychrome details. In turn, the numerous mechanical damages to the monument were probably the work of vandals. The most severe of these was the deprivation of the figures of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene of their heads and of their arms and feet. The entire woodcarving decoration was repainted several times. Ad hoc "care" treatments, consisting of rubbing vegetable oil (to achieve colour saturation), accelerated the degradation of many elements of the monument.

Golgotha in Lviv - the complicated restoration of spl endour
In 2010-2013, the Golgotha sculptural group underwent a comprehensive restoration by the Foundation for Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage in cooperation with the Armenian community of Lviv, the city authorities and the Foundation "Protection of Lviv's Historic-Architectural Legacy". The restoration work - funded by the Programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage "Cultural Heritage" - was carried out by a Polish-Ukrainian team led by Andrzej Kazberuk.

At the time the conservation work began, the state of preservation of Golgotha was dire. The internal structure of the roof and cheek walls was in danger of collapsing. The shingles used to cover the roof were no longer airtight and did not protect the monument from direct exposure to water. The work was very painstaking and required great precision and artistic flair. Undoubtedly, it was extremely difficult to preserve as much of the polychrome as possible. It also proved to be a major challenge for the conservators to save the unique decorative layer, consisting of pasted thin, multi-coloured glass tiles. This unique ornamental technique, used e.g. in the construction of later Cracovian nativity scenes, was exposed and became the basis for the final aesthetic expression, which allowed the 'soul' of the monument to be 'preserved' even in contemporary worship.

As a result of the conservation work, the Golgotha gained not only a new internal structure, foundation and roof covered with fir shingles, but also drainage and a stable support.