Narva's baroque Old Town was constructed during the 17th century when Estonia was under Swedish rule. It was considered to be one of the best examples of that style of architecture in northern Europe.

However, the city of Narva was almost completely destroyed by bombing raids during World War Two. There was little left of its Old Town and even less of Narva's wooden baroque facades.  

The artifacts held by the museum are now being studied by students. According to an urban legend, they were found in the ruins of the Old Town and were brought to the museum in 1951 by a vigilant citizen. 

"We think it could all have come from Narva's St John's Church. And, for example, we know that there is a part of a painting's frame here, but we have not yet worked out what the other parts might be," Anne Raud, Narva Museum's exhibition manager, told "Aktuaalne kaamera".

The pieces potentially from the church must now be counted and documented, the damage must be mapped, and, if necessary, they will undergo conservation.

"We do have pieces here that have loose paint and loose primer, so you could say that they are really in a state of disrepair. But at the same time, there are also pieces that are in such [good] condition that they could be put on display right now. As you know, the old Narva has been destroyed, but there are still parts of it that make it a real rarity," said restorer Jüri-Martin Lepp.

Raud said: "It's something very special, very rare, something we don't have anywhere else, and we would love to know more about it and we would love to show more of it in the future."

The public can explore Narva's wooden baroque history and observe the work of restorers on October 4 and 5.

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