After the enthronement of the new Metropolitan Kirillos in the Metropolis of Imvros and Tenedos, in July 2020, the President of the Administrative Board of EKBMM, Professor Natalia Poulou, and the Director, Dr. Flora Karagianni, visited Imvros and visited Post-Byzantine churches of the island in order to diagnose the state of preservation of the woodcarved iconostasis and theirs icons preserved. This visit was the beginning of a very fruitful and excellent cooperation between the EKBMM and the Metropolis of Imvros and Tenedos.
The Metropolitan Church of Virgin Mary of Imvros, which is dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary, was built in 1835 as the parish church of the village of Merkez. Since 1905, the Church of Virgin Mary has been transformed into a Metropolitan church, located in the heart of the administrative and commercial centre of the capital of Imvros. The Metropolitan Church of Virgin Mary, belongs to the type of basilica with three aisles, with a gabled roof and semicircular arch. The division of the aisles is made by columns, that consists of a wooden core covered with white plaster.
During the years 2021 and 2022 and following the planning of the EKBMM, teams of conservators visited Imvros in order to prepare the conservation study of the iconostasis and its icons, the pulpit, the Despotic throne and the pilgrim icon stand. The work on the iconostasis began with the cleaning of the rear side and continued with disinsection, stabilization of the paint layer and cleaning of the painted front side. Work on the iconostasis was completed with the addition of neoclassical reliefs, aesthetic restoration to the point and the application of a varnish mix. With regard to the icons of the church, cleaning and removal of oxidized varnish and paintings, stabilizating the wooden support by applying thermoplastic resin to the visible wooden support of the back side, as well as aesthetic restoration with watercolor paints and application of protection with synthetic varnish were carried out. In the pulpit, surface cleaning was carried out to remove dust and deposits, removal of the layer of paint with stars resulting in the revelation of the original floral decoration and mild aesthetic restoration with watercolour paints on the floral plain.
The conservation work of the woodcarved decoration and of the 47 icons in the Metropolitan Church was completed in 2022 and on the occasion of its completion the relevant volume, “Ο Μητροπολιτικός Ναός της Κοιμήσεως Θεοτόκου στην Παναγία Ίμβρου” was published in 2023.
The EKBMM also carried out conservation work on the church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Glyky Imvros. The church was built on the site of an older church at the north of the settlement, at the location of the village cemetery. The parish church was built in 1837, as it is inscribed on the key of the arched lintel of the main entrance. In the church, apart from the icons that adorn the iconostasis and other icons, there are also icons that were transferred from chapels of the wider area, as well as from the monastery of Taxiarches, and icons of private worship left by residents who left the village.
In 2022, an autopsy was carried out in order to diagnose the state of preservation of the woodcarved iconostasis and its icons and the conservators of the Greek Ministry prepared the Technical Conservation Report. The report recorded the state of preservation of the iconostasis, its pathology, the causes of deterioration and possible ways of dealing with them.
The conservation of the church’s iconostasis was initiated and completed in 2022. During the works, the project included photographic documentation of the iconostasis, cleaning of the back side of the wooden substrate, stabilization of the unstable parts, cleaning the painting surface, removal of newer paintings, aesthetic restoration and application of protective varnish.
The EKBMМ carried out conservation work on portable icons, the episcopal throne, the pulpit, devotional stands (proskynitaria), and the sanctuary doors of the iconostasis of the Metropolitan Church of Tenedos. More specifically, the conservation of a total of 8 despotic portable icons, 30 portable icons from the epistyle, the episcopal throne, the pulpit, 3 sanctuary doors, and 3 carved wooden proskynitaria began and was completed in the summer of 2024. The icons were thoroughly documented photographically on both sides, and test cuts and cleaning tests were carried out. Subsequently, the icons and sanctuary doors were cleaned of dust and surface deposits, while the reverse sides were cleaned of plastic paint layers. All metal revetments and additional wooden elements, together with their nails, were removed. The wooden support and the painted surface were consolidated. The existing varnish was removed using appropriate solvents, and localized mechanical cleaning was performed to remove residues of wax and glue. Furthermore, where necessary, chromatic reintegration was carried out using icon-painting pigments and a Hydroground solution, and a new varnish was applied to the front surface of the icons. In the following year, specialized conservators of antiquities and works of art traveled to the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Tenedos, under the Metropolis of Tenedos, to carry out in situ conservation and aesthetic restoration of 13 portable icons, the episcopal throne, the pulpit, two doors (of the Prothesis and the Diakonikon), and three carved wooden proskynitaria. The work followed the same methodology as the conservation interventions carried out during the previous year. Upon completion of the works, a brief guide with recommended methods for the preservation and management of the above objects was delivered. In the following year, the aesthetic restoration of the iconostasis is planned.