Unique finding of the Tian Shan expedition of the State Hermitage

Excavations of the joint Kyrgyz-Russian archeological expeditions have been conducted at the site of an ancient settlement Krasnaya Rechka located in the east of the Chuy Valley thirty kilometers from Bishkek since 2007. On the Russian side the excavations are led by a member of the Orient Department of the State Hermitage, PhD in History A. I. Torgoyev, on the side of the Kyrgyzstan the co-leader of the expedition is the member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyzstan Republic V. A. Kolchenko.

This year on one of the hills under which the remains of the pagoda of the 8th-10th century are hidden, standing in complex with medieval constructions a unique finding has been made - a clay sculpture of Buddha almost two human height in size, sitting in a lotus pose. The figure was in the altar niche of the sanctum. It was colored with paints and remained preserved up to 1/3 of the torso. At the corners of the altar niche, on each side of the central niche there were figures of standing bodhisattvas of smaller sizes which have been preserved worse than the main sitting figure. Numerous parts of the sculpture and wall polychrome painting, adorning the altar niche are in heavily fragmented form in the heap in front of the central figure of Buddha.

The painstaking work on clearing of the sculpture itself, its fixation and preservation is being conducted by the restorers of the State Hermitage O. S. Viktorova and R. A. Kazimirova with a substantial assistance of the member of the Orient Department of the State Hermitage, Ph in Philosophy Ye. A. Kiy. Extraction and restoration of the remains of the whole sculptural composition is an extremely scrupulous activity rated for a long term. After removal of all fragments and the central figure of Buddha a lengthy process of restoration and gathering of the whole composition together is still ahead, after which this undoubtedly distinguished monument of the ancient arts will become a worthy decoration of the museum fund of the Kyrgyzstan Republic. At the moment the members of the expedition are engaged in preparation of the excavated part of the temple for preservation.

Larger image