A team of physicists from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research will mark a new chapter in preserving the frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Their work aims to determine gilding ages, reveal the true color palette of the frescoes, digitally reconstruct the original appearance, and track how each hue has shifted over time. The plan and its expected outcomes were shared with the public by experts involved in the project.
Experts note that several questions facing the Assumption Cathedral’s art experts revolve around dating the gilding. Using a non-destructive XRF device, researchers can identify the century to which the illuminations belong by comparing current samples with authenticated references from various historical periods. Natalia Glombotskaya, a GNAA employee, explained that the team will be able to configure the necessary instrument in their laboratory to align with the broader dating framework they are building.
Neutron activation analysis will also play a key role in the investigation. In this method, a sample is exposed to a stream of neutrons. Nuclear reactions produce transformations that are captured with spectrometric equipment. The resulting spectrum is then processed to determine the exact elemental composition of the pigment layers and plaster. The precision achieved varies by element, with most signals resolved down to a single atom and ranges for some elements reaching one in a billion. When the elemental makeup is known, researchers can infer the materials used in the frescoes, including pigments and binders within the plaster matrix.
Beyond dating and materials identification, the study seeks to verify archival tender documents from the seventeenth century. Olga Zakharova, a senior researcher with the Moscow Kremlin Museums, explains that art historians cross-check what was described in purchase records with the actual materials found on site. The relevant historical context includes decrees issued by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov in 1643, which shaped procurement practices for royal projects. The scientific question becomes how the documented materials align with what is observed on the fresco surfaces today, offering a way to confirm historical procurement claims through material evidence.
The broader aim is to map the chemical mixtures that compose the colored surfaces and to relate them to the materials that were documented as part of royal commissions. In this way, the project not only dates and authenticates the gilding and pigments but also builds a clearer picture of the workshop practices, pigment sourcing, and layering techniques used during the era of the cathedral’s decoration. This integrated approach combines pigment chemistry, archival evidence, and conservation science to deliver a robust understanding of the frescoes’ original appearance and its subsequent transformations.
Researchers highlight that similar efforts have already yielded tangible results in other historic sites. In the Cathedral of St. Novodevichy Convent, for instance, scientists were able to identify the true colors used in earlier restorations and to compare them with documented records. The current project at the Moscow Kremlin aims to build on those advances, applying parallel methods to a more complex, historically rich ceremonial space. The outcome is expected to guide future conservation decisions and inform scholarly interpretations about seventeenth-century Russian ecclesiastical art. The work is supported by ongoing collaborations among physicists, conservators, historians, and museum staff, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to cultural heritage preservation. (Source: socialbites.ca)