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A woman was moved to tears after seeing a picture her family had hidden from the Nazis restored to its former beauty by the Repair Shop experts.
The team of skilled craftemen have pooled their abilities and resources together for several seasons now to remodel beloved antiques such as books, toys, clothes, and furniture.
However, one of the most noteworthy fixes to date occurred on this week’s episode of the series.
Painting conservator Lucia Scalisi was given a ‘miraculous journey’ 19th century artwork of the Madonna and Child.
Maria Kirk met with the crew and told that the artwork belonged to her grandpa, a Ukrainian Catholic priest who received it from his father when he was ordained.
It had hung in his church in the Western Ukrainian town of Skowiatyn until World War II, when Maria’s mother, aunt, and grandmother were forced to evacuate.
‘They were escaping from the Russians on one side and the Germans on the other,’ Maria explained.
They just brought the picture, which was wrapped up and made into a winter coat.
The Germans finally caught all three women and took them to a work camp, where Maria’s grandmother died of malnutrition.
Her mother relocated to England after the war, but her aunt remained in Germany and kept the artwork.
Years later, Maria was handed the piece, which she claimed was the only thing she had left from her family.
‘I haven’t got any other tangible proof they even existed,’ she said.
She added: ‘It makes me realise how brave they were to do this because could have easily been shot or robbed, but they hid this in the coat and carried it throughout the whole war.’
Lucia said it was ‘amazing’ that the picture had survived in such fine shape despite being rolled up.
Instead of referring to herself as the owner, Maria stated that she was the caretaker and intended to restore it to the church as soon as possible.
‘With everything that is happening there I think it would be special to see that out of all the darkness and horror, something beautiful and peaceful and gentle could come out of this,’ she said.
When the big reveal arrived, Maria was visibly thrilled to see what it looked like.
She also said that her mother was present in spirit.
‘She always said she felt like this painting kept them together in the camp. I just want to see it as they would have seen it,’ she said.
Gasping as she looked at the piece, Maria exclaimed ‘oh my goodness’, and burst into tears.
‘Oh, it’s beautiful. Thank you,’ she said.
‘The colours, it’s alive.’
Lucia then began to cry and expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to help.
When asked about the painting’s importance, Maria stated that she had grown up hearing about its beauty.
‘Not long before she died, my mother told me before they were captured they were all given little patches to sew on the clothes which translated to ‘East European Slave Labour’ and my mum didn’t want to put it on the coat and said that my grandmother had told her to, because it “wasn’t what was on the outside of the coat, it was on the inside that was going to keep them together”,’ she said.
‘I understand now why they took it.
‘I would love one day to take it back to Ukraine. I will never, ever forget this.’
Maria also expressed her wish that repairing the picture will help her loved ones be remembered.
The Repair Shop is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
Source My Celebrity Life.