Belaya Katya

The headline of the article is “England's historic wall paintings at risk, English Heritage warns”.

The article is taken from the bbc news. (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-49798486)

The central idea of the article is to point to one of the historical values and its problems.

Time is running out to preserve historic wall paintings around England that are at risk of
deterioration and decay, English Heritage has warned.

The charity looks after 77 of the paintings, many of which decorate medieval abbeys, priories
and churches.

It said the damp British climate and flawed restoration attempts threatened the artworks, some of
which were older than the Sistine Chapel.

Many depicted religious scenes, including the "internationally-important" art at St Mary's

Church in Kempley, Gloucestershire, the charity said.

Meanwhile, early 20th Century attempts at restoration had caused "more harm than good",
English Heritage said.

Those practices included the use of soluble nylon to prevent damage, which had caused
increased flaking of paint, it explained.

These included medieval paintings at Longthorpe Tower in Peterborough, World War One
graffiti at Richmond Castle in North Yorkshire, and the Archer Pavilion roof at Wrest Park in
Bedfordshire, which needed securing.

Launching its appeal, the English Heritage's senior collections conservator Rachel Turnbull says,
that wall paintings are the most challenging type of art to care for but they offer a precious
insight into England's story.

People of the past have left little traces, glimpses into their everyday lives through richly
decorated wall paintings.

If they are to survive for future generations to enjoy, we need the public's help today to repair
their buildings, stabilize their structures and protect them from damp and decay before time runs
out.

I think it's very good when people take care of their country's cultural heritage. If we talk about
our country, there are many ancient places on its territory, such as castles, churches, estates, and
etc. However, many of these places have turned into ruins because they were not looked after
properly.
 Glossary

deterioration - the fact or process of becoming worse

decay - the process by which a radioactive substance changes to a different form, producing
radiation

medieval - related to the Middle Ages

priory - a building where monks or nuns live, work, and pray

flaw - to cause something to be not perfect

flaking - to come off a surface in small, thin pieces