Developing a Methodology for the Conservation of a Tserkva: Examining the structural and Decorative Composite of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Drohobych, Ukraine

In January 2020, a multi-year project was initiated to preserve the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (CEHC), a historic wooden church in Western Ukraine. Building upon preliminary documentation, this thesis responds to the conservation challenge presented by the polychrome wall-paintings where the icons and motifs used in the religious liturgy were painted directly onto the structural timbers. This thesis proposes a methodology for their joint conservation informed by examination of the church’s heritage values, regional agents of deterioration, and conservation discourse around the larger typology. Through developed preservation principles and a phased timeline, the site-specific needs of the church are considered in order to aid resource managers in prioritizing future conservation work.