C O N T E X T 9 7 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 6 31 history and the conservation of industrial sites is a very new subject in Russia. Excellent technical museum collections from the tsarist time were destroyed in the communist era, and industrial history was confined to subjects which fitted communist policy. The first and second world wars and the communist era resulted in the extensive destruction of buildings, unlike anything that happened in Britain. Consequently conservation can involve the complete reconstruction of buildings which, in Britain, would have undergone far less intervention or would never even be considered for restoration. The war-ravaged areas of Europe have far fewer historic structures than Britain so it may be that funding major work is also somewhat easier.There is certainly more political pressure for conservation or restoration.This is certainly a major factor which must be considered when comparing conservation in Britain with that elsewhere in Europe. Movable objects, such as boats or road vehicles, can also be listed. With regard to conservation, the main problem after finance (professionals in former Communist countries are often amazed when told of the difficulty in financing conservation in Britain), is the weather. Winter temperatures can fall to minus 40º, with freezing conditions lasting from late September to early May. Heating is provided by wood-burning stoves or electricity. The latter can be problematic; annually several fires are the result of poor electrical work, and a socket exploded on my first trip. Fortunately, standards are improving rapidly. There are three main building materials. The north of Russia was renowned for its wooden buildings. Nearby Archangel was the capital for such buildings although many were destroyed after the collapse of the White Russian forces in 1919 when the town was directly associated with opposition to communism. Most of the more isolated buildings on the islands, and all the monastery’s, roofs were wooden. The area around the White Sea was covered by glaciers in the ice age, and the lower floors of the main monastery buildings are made from large glacial stones which are widely available in the area. More unusually for the area, there are several brick buildings. Brick clay was found on the island, the only such resource in theWhite Sea area, and the monastery had its own brick fields, selling bricks around the coast to provide income. Production was greatly expanded in the communist period, resulting in the raw material soon being exhausted. Several brick buildings survive, including the main church and the water mill. Their construction seems unusual to western European eyes, with little in the way of regular bonding. Wrought iron ties are often incorporated to provide structural integrity. Ceilings are often brick vaulted, which may not be unusual for a church, but is for a water mill. Such ceilings/roofs are not waterproof and are covered by typical wooden roofs to keep out the weather. I suspect that the use of brick ceilings was partly the result of ecclesiastical building styles, and partly as a way of retaining and storing heat in winter. The monastery bell tower The interior of the church at Charoda, to the south of Kargopol. The church was used as a generating station in the communist period, and although derelict today, the generator and the church wall paintings survive.
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