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The light of Nereditsa returns: a unique multimedia exhibition is being held in a 12th-century Novgorod churchtranslated

September 7, 2026 · 1 min read

Since mid-August, a new multimedia exhibition “Nereditsa. Return of the light."

The joint project of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve and Sberbank tells about the history of the creation of a unique church, its destruction by the Nazi invaders and post-war revival, the press service of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve told Foma magazine.

Photo courtesy of the press service of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve

“Visitors will be able not only to survive the destruction of the church, but to live the most dramatic pages of its history and see on the walls an almost complete fresco ensemble, recreated from the watercolor drawings of the artist Leonid Brailovsky, who recorded the painting program in 1904,” the message noted.

The museum-reserve clarified that following the principle of “authenticity instead of reconstruction,” lost frescoes are not recreated or presented as authentic: watercolors by Leonid Brailovsky are shown exactly as watercolors - with the texture of paper, the nature of the brush and the characteristics of the pigment, and not as an imitation of ancient painting.

Photo courtesy of the press service...

Source: Журнал ФОМА · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (4) 🌐 Show original

Даниела Христова

It is interesting that they decided to show Brailovsky’s watercolors with the texture of paper and a brush, and not as a fake of frescoes. It's fair. It’s just a pity that the church itself suffered so much during the war; it’s good that at least this way the light is being returned.

Maria Dobre

Interesting approach with Brailovski's watercolors shown exactly as they are, with paper texture and brush marks. It is more honest than passing them off as old frescoes. Too bad about the war damage, but at least now you can see what the ensemble looked like again.

Φωτεινή Παναγιωτοπούλου

A pity that in 1941-44 the Germans targeted it and left it in ruins. I'm glad they show Brailovsky's watercolors as they are, with paper and brush, without passing them off as original murals. So at least we see what was inside the church.

Sophia Walker

The way they’re showing Brailovsky’s watercolors with the paper texture and brush strokes instead of faking frescoes makes sense. It feels honest, like the museum is respecting what’s actually left. I didn’t know the Germans had targeted Nereditsa so badly during the war; glad some of the old light is coming back this way.