25 YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES
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Working together to do repair works for the cob filling of Enescu House in Mihăileni, 8-9 July 2015
The villagers from Mihăileni together with students of architecture and coordinated by local craftsmen took part in the „oiling” („ungerea”) of Enescu House (i.e. repairing the cob wall filling). The gathering was assisted by the Hilișeu brass band and a meal was prepared for everyone.
Partners: the Local North-East Quarters of R.C.A. (The Romanian Chamber of Architects), Mihăileni Townhall, Nord Association. We give our thanks to the above-mentioned as well as to all sponsors and donors that make the rescue of Enescu House possible.
A coverage story by Babriela Baiardi for TVR Iași (for the TV-show „Summer for you”, 9 July 2015) about the gathering for the „oiling” of Enescu House in Mihăileni:
A documentary by Francis Mraz, fotopoetica.ro
The third reunion that aimed to finish plastering the walls of the Mihăileni house in Botoșani county, where George Enescu grew up took place on 4 August 2016. The last reunion bearing the name of „good adobe” or „light hand” is different from all the others. The adobe used for the last layer of the process is made after a special traditional recipe and the work itself has only been undertaken by women because they have finer hands and can better finish the house coating. Alternatively, the men changed places with the housewives and prepared the meals.
A short film by Alex Condurache and Diana Oabrasu about the „light hand” gathering in George Enescu house, Mihăileni, Botoșani county (4 August 2016) is available to viewing here:
The state of degradation in which the House Enescu Mihăileni about 1 year ago, can be seen filming in March 2015, conducted by Mani Gutau musician, band ago, the project Lost End Found.
The exhibition titled Project for Solidarity, Enescu House in Mihăileni at Monteoru House in Bucharest (15 September – 10 October 2014) was organized by the Order of Romanian Architects, Bucharest Quarters, together with Pro Patrimonio Foundation and is part of the campaign for raising awareness and funds to urgently rescue the house George Enescu grew up in.
The exhibition invited viewers to an excursion in the story of a frail place filled with history brought back to life with the voluntary help of architects and cultural personalities while presenting the urgent intervention from the summer of 2014 in order to save George Enescu’s mother’s house from collapse. The exhibition was adjoined by several connex events among which the Sonoro concert from 16 September 2014 that ended the SoNoRo Conac program in 2014.
For several years an average of 30 to 40 volunteers gets involved in the building worksite for the church in Urși, Vâlcea county. From June till October groups of 7-8 restorers and students work on the conservation of the frescoes. We dedicated a whole week- for the first time in 2007 – to volunteers from abroad with the goal to encourage cultural tourism and promote the outstanding value of the church and of the local cultural landscape. 7 volunteers from the National Trust UK with varying ages and occupations spent a week working on the conservation of interior frescoes under the supervision of Ana Chiricuță assisted by Andrei Dumitrescu, professional art restorers.
The necessary funds were donated by private people and organizations, the most important sponsors being World Monuments Fund and The local community (the parish, townhall as well as the townspeople) support the project and offer each year lodging and meals to all volunteers and craftsmen working to preserve the village wooden church.
In 2014, with the support of World Monuments Fund, Watch day, the international event dedicated to historical monuments was organized, a biennial cultural heritage celebration bringing together people around dozens of sites around the world. The wooden churches in southern Transylvania and northern Oltenia were included on the list of Europe’s 7 most endangered heritage sites in the same year. On this occasion, Pro Patrimonio Foundation organized a Watch Day event in the village of Urși, Vâlcea County, to attract attention to an almost unknown architectural heritage site. A Museum of the Wooden Church was inaugurated in Urși with the exhibition ”The Wooden Church in Urși : Re-establishing its place within the community”.
In the case of the wooden church in Urși, Vâlcea County (1784), several major problems with the roofing, structure and foundation have been noted as well as the mural painting that is in a fragile condition. On 12 June 2010 the altar vault caved in, a reason for the Order of Architects and Pro Patrimonio Foundation to step in and, with donations and voluntary work, build a structure to shield the church, dismantle the rotten roof and, together with Prof. Dan Mohanu and students from the National University of Fine Arts in Bucharest consolidate the frescoes. Architects Ștefan Bâlici and Virgil Apostol voluntarily drew the restoration project for the church in Urși.
Since 2010 an ample restoration worksite has been underway and it includes conservation of both interior and exterior frescoes. The works are done with the help of the local community that wishes to see the work finished and the church reopened for daily use as well as for tourist visits. The restoration work in progress since 2013 is being done with the support of the international organization World Monuments Fund.
In the case of the small wooden church in Urși, the museum inaugurated in 2014 on Watch Day is located in a room in the village kindergarten and comprises damaged elements that have been replaced, pictures taken during the restoration works, and explanations about techniques, painting and the value of the church. In the case of Urși, one of the successful projects in progress, the local priest and mayor have given a great deal of support to the project.
The church in Urși was built between 1757-1784 by founders Ion Danciu and Constantin the priest. After the fire in 1838, the church was repaired and painted inside and outside in 1843 by craftsmen Gerghe, Nicolae and Ioan . In 1913 a new brick church was built in town leaving the wooden church to serve as cemetery chapel. The last repair was done in 1943.
Violin recital held in 2013 by Alexandru Tomescu in the wooden church in Urși for raising funds necessary for restoration works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfztXhRxwQY
The wooden church in Pojogeni, Gorj county (1797) found in 2009 in a pre-collapse condition is a special case among those in the project 60 de biserici de lemn as it was saved by being dismantled and reassembled in Cămărășeanca Monastery (app. 1780) in Târgul Cărbunari, 10 km away. The wooden church was shortly after included in the monastic life and the life of its neighbouring community.
The entire rescue process has been documented in a work-in-progress journal-volume:
Strămutarea bisericii din Pojogeni (septembrie-octombrie 2009), Ed. Simetria, 2010 (LINK)
In 2012, the program 60 de biserici de lemn included interventions for a wooden church in Botosani County, at the request of the priest and the founder’s family, who wanted to repair the church in Cervicești (1861) and give it its due value. The repairs were supervised by Pro Patrimonio Foundation volunteers who, through small interventions, kindled the villagers’ interest for the old church. Even when the building site was in progress there was a request for a wedding in the wooden church.
Biserica din Budurăști, jud. Vâlcea (1755-1756)
The wooden church in Budurăşti is a sad case of irreversible collapse and degradation.
The church collapsed but fragments of mural painting in various stages of degradation were preserved. They were extracted in 2016 by Pro Patrimonio’s preservation team.
After an emergency intervention to protect the roof of the wooden church in Boz, Hunedoara County (1791) with plastic foil, the tile roofing was completely repaired in 2012. The church is used occasionally for services and houses temporary exhibitions on local history, community customs and life in its exonartex.
In 2017, with the support of Pro Patrimonio Foundation, priest Dacian Popescu of Boz managed to obtain a non-refundable European grant through the National Program for Rural Development for the restoration of the historic monument church.
