Spiritual revelations do not require the light of an open square. Here human feelings did not yield to the stiff letter of Catholicism. Ancient people were aware of something that is now destroyed by our nonchalance. Those who enlarged the windows and the doors knew not what they were doing. Now only at dusk can one get the original impression produced by the original décor. As I have mentioned above, the walls and vaults of the church are built of large unhewn boulders. Facets of the stones protrude from the wall and break the surface by unexpected pattern of angles and winding lines. Whether the makers sought to provide such an impression or not, the caring time imparted certain adornment and brought the simple images to complicated softness of contemporary art. Dust covered all protuberances of stone and instead of a cold wall a silky tapestry now flows down in gentle pleats. A white surface under the patina of time developed tepid coating of a textile fabric, images no longer stand out with their sharp outlines, the clothes break in soft folds, the ornament vibrates as if shaken with invisible hands. The time has created a beauty, universal for all centuries and all peoples.

Finns, love and succeed in preservation of your most ancient churches!

N. Roerich