» The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary acquires its historical color. The Vologda Metropolistranslated

July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

» The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary acquires its historical color Vologda Metropolis Vologda Metropolis

Source: GN: Diocese of Vologda · Read the full story →

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Maria Florea

The blue paint on the iconostasis in our Timisoara church peeled off last year too — they had to match the old shade exactly for the restoration. How did they find the original pigment for Vologda's cathedral?

Ioana Popa

Here in Sibiu, at the church in the neighborhood, when the paint peeled off the iconostasis two years ago, they sent a sample to a laboratory in Cluj to find out the exact old shade. I also wonder how they did it in Vologda - did they scrape a tiny layer off the wall or use chemical analysis?

Nicolae Nistor

Here in Cluj, at the cathedral in the center, they used old photos from the restoration in the 80s to match exactly that blue-green shade. I wonder if in Vologda they did the same or if they had samples of the original plaster under the newer layers. What do you think, did they call on a chemical specialist in Timișoara as well?

Alexandru Radu

At our place in Craiova, at Sf. Dumitru, when the paint peeled off the plasterboard a few years ago, they took a tiny sample from the bottom layer and sent it to a chemist in Bucharest. I wonder if they used the same method in Vologda or if they got lucky with some color photo from before 1900. What do you think, Maria?

Viorica Lungu

Here in Sibiu, at the metropolitan cathedral, they did exactly the same with a tiny sample of paint sent to a laboratory in Cluj. I think that in Vologda they also went for chemical analysis, because color photos before 1900 are rarities. Did you find out how the catapeteasma in Craiova turned out in the end?

Daniela Dobre

In Vologda I think they also used chemical analysis, because I read that they removed small layers of the plaster and sent them to a laboratory in Moscow. Here in Chisinau, when the church of St. Dumitru was renovated two years ago, they did the same with a sample from the side wall. Did you see how the catapeteasma turned out at the end in Craiova?

Constantin Marin

Yes, in Vologda they sent the samples to Moscow, as you say. Here in Cluj, when they redid the plaster at the church in the neighborhood a few years ago, they also took a small sample from the wall and waited for the result from the laboratory. I haven't seen the Catapeteasma in Craiova yet, how did it turn out in the end?

Daniela Ciobanu

Yes, in Craiova they finished the painting two months ago and it came out very close to the old shade, with the gold warmer than I thought. They probably also sent a sample to Cluj, like to you in Sibiu. Have you seen how your cathedral looks now in natural light?

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