Preliminary studies of the ice chamber from Corner Chambers of the former mansion of Alexandr D. Menshikov (wood species identification and state of reservation of wet archaeological wood)

In July 2019, during the restoration of the building of the First Cadet Corps (the former mansion of Alexandr D. Menshikov), fragments of two constructions that differ in terms of preservation – a cellar and an ice chamber (lednik) dated the first half of the 18th century were discovered. The lednik is a traditional building for the North-Western region of Russia and is a rare wooden architectural object for St. Petersburg of this time. In order to prepare the construction for dismantling and planning its further restoration, preliminary studies were carried out, including type of wood, the degree of moisture and density of wood, its general state of preservation, as well as the nature of biological infections. It was found that details from other wooden objects, probably, ships and barges were used for this construction. Parts of the ice chamber are made mainly from pine (Pinus sp.), only one – from fir tree (Picea sp.). Most parts of the lednik are waterlogged, according to the amount of moisture, the details are mainly classified as the 1st degree of preservation, four samples – the 2nd – 4th degrees of preservation. There are signs of bacterial and fungal damage. Based on the results of the conducted research, a plan for further work has been developed that contributes to the conservation of the unique historical architectural object. In the future, it is planned to exhibit the ice chamber in the museum space of the First Cadet Corps.