Ascension Catholic Virgin Mary ( lit.. Švč. M. Marijos Ėmimo į Dangų bažnyčia, Pol. Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny), popularly known as Franciscan Church (Pranciškonų bažnyčia), kościół franciszkanów, as Franciscan church on Sands (kościół Franciszkanów na Piaskach ) is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Vilnius. It is located in the Old Town on Traku Street ( Trakų g. 9 / Pranciškonų g. 1 ), deep in the square. The complex of the former Franciscan monastery with the adjacent buildings of the Susin Chapel and the temple occupies a large section between Traku, Prancishkonu, Lidos and Kedainu Streets. The non-parish temple belongs to the Franciscans Conventuals. Services in Lithuanian on weekdays at 17:30 and on Sundays at 10:00, in Polish on weekdays at 19:00 and on Sundays at 11:30 (for children at 13:00). Rector Marek Dettluff.
| Church | |
| Catholic church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vilnius | |
|---|---|
| Vilniaus Švenčiausiosios Mergelės Marijos Ėmimo į Dangų bažnyčia Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Wilnie | |
 | |
| A country |  Lithuania |
| City | Vilnius |
| Denomination | Catholicism |
| Diocese | Vilnius |
| Order affiliation | Franciscans |
| Type of building | monastery church |
| Architectural style | gothic , baroque |
| First mention | 1392 year |
| Key dates | |
| founded - 1387 rebuilt - 1410 consecrated - 1421 burned out - 1610 reconstructed - 1764 closed - 1864 returned to the Franciscans to the Conventuals - 1934 closed - 1948 returned to the Franciscans Conventuals - 1998 | |
History
The monks of the Franciscans in Vilna were already under Gediminas : in the letter of the prince dated May 26, 1323 to the Saxon Franciscans, the church was built for the Franciscans “in our royal city, called Vilna”. [1] [2] . Her location has not been established.
According to tradition, under the governor of Olgerd, Peter Gostovt invited fourteen Franciscan monks and laid the monastery of the Virgin Mary for them in his possession in the place where the episcopal palace was later located. In the absence of Olgerd and Goshtovt, who went on a campaign to Moscow , the inhabitants of the city burned the monastery, and put the monks to death. Gostovt invited other monks and laid a new monastery near his house on Sands:
Y potom Petr Gasztolt pryweł inszych mnichow franciszkan, y ne smeł wżo na tom mestcy klasztora im budowaty, hde perwych pokażeno, y wczynił im klasztor na tom mestcy, hde był sobi dom zbudowzkozd, kołod kołod, y od tych czasow stał perszy klasztor chrystyanski rymskoho zakonu u Wilni mniszy Matki Bozskoy. [3]
The common version, however, is not supported by research and documents. According to documentary data, in 1392 the headman of Vilnius Ganul recorded his possessions in Vilna with the church of St. Nicholas and the Franciscan monastery. The Franciscan monastery was first mentioned in the Jagaila privilege of 1387 , the temple in 1392 .
The monastery was burned by the crusaders in 1390 . In 1399 it burned again, but was rebuilt. Founded in 1387, the temple (probably wooden) was built or rebuilt after the invasion of the Crusaders in 1410 . The stone church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built and consecrated in 1421 . In 1533, a fire completely destroyed the temple. He was soon rebuilt. In 1655, the monastery and church were looted by Moscow troops and Cossacks, and then was badly damaged in a fire lasting seventeen days. After 1661, the temple was restored. By 1675, the temple was stone, plastered, tiled, with ten pylons , three chapels , an organ , fourteen altars . In 1702, the church and monastery were sacked by the Swedes. The temple suffered from devastating fires of 1737 and especially 1748 , when it completely burned out. Separate from the temple, untouched by fires, there was a bell tower resembling a tower in its form (built in the 16th century ). There were 5 bells in the bell tower. The tower was destroyed in 1872 . In 1708, Michal Suzin built a late Baroque family chapel mausoleum at the church cemetery.
In the second half of the 18th century, the temple and the monastery were reconstructed, as it is supposed, by Kazimir Kaminsky and Anthony Kossakovsky. The church was given the late Baroque features. The significantly renewed church was re-consecrated in 1764 ; from then until now, its architectural appearance has generally been preserved.
During the French invasion in 1812, a granary was built in the church, and a hospital in the monastery. The monastery had a large collection of old books, most of which were plundered by the French. After the uprising of 1831, the Russian authorities organized a prison for political prisoners in part of the monastery premises, and a military hospital operated in part ( 1831 - 1837 ). In 1837, the provincial archive was placed in the monastery buildings.
In 1862, religious-patriotic anti-Russian demonstrations were held in front of the church with the singing of the Polish anthem. The monks supported the uprising of 1863 . In the summer of 1864, the Russian authorities closed the church and monastery. Murals and sculptures were destroyed. A part of the premises of the monastery was a prison. The state and city archives were transferred to other monastery buildings and the temple; the rest of the monastery buildings were occupied by the city pawnshop, armory, St. Zita's shelter, reading room and other institutions. Later, the Lithuanian Scientific Society ( Lietuvių mokslo draugija ; 1908 - 1917 ), a two-class Lithuanian school ( 1908 - 1924 ; in the southern building of the monastery, at Lidos Street), founded by philanthropist Jozef Montville, a labor exchange, a dormitory for Lithuanian gymnasiums, functioned in the buildings of the former monastery other institutions.
In 1872 - 1876, the monastery and church buildings were rebuilt according to the project of architect N. M. Chagin in order to adapt them to the archive. At the same time, the interior of the temple was divided into five floors.
In 1902 - 1903, on the initiative and at the expense of Count Anthony Tyszkiewicz, the fence of the monastery and the low-value tenant buildings adjacent to the church building were dismantled, the lease term of which expired. In their place a square was arranged.
From 1919 until the opening in 1934 of the church returned to the Franciscans to the conventuals, services were held in the surviving chapel. In 1931, a monument to Montville (sculptor Boleslav Balzukevich , architect Jan Brovsky) was unveiled in a park not far from the church.
In 1948 (according to other sources in 1949 ) the church and church were closed, and the buildings were nationalized. The archives were again located in the buildings, apartments, dormitories, warehouses, and various institutions were arranged in the monastery buildings. In 1986, the monastery complex was transferred to the Republican Council of Societies for Scientific and Technical Creativity, which established the Palace of Science and Technology. In the restored premises are the American Center and other institutions. On May 15, 1998, the church was returned to the Franciscans to the conventuals. Currently, restoration work is underway, but services are already underway.
Architecture
Chapel
The chapel, closed with the church in 1864 , gradually fell into decay. In 1904, on the initiative of engineer Stanislav Blazhevich, it was repaired for donations. It was used for funeral services. After World War II, it was abandoned for a long time. In 1969, according to the project of the architect Antanas Kunigelis, the former chapel was restored. For some time, a gift shop was operating in it.
Notes
- ↑ May 26, 1323 Gediminas Message to the Monks of the Order of Minorites (Franciscans)
- ↑ 1323 m. gegužės 26 d. Gedimino laiškas pranciškonų ordino vienuoliams unopened (inaccessible link) . Date of treatment May 11, 2009. Archived January 25, 2009.
- ↑ Chronicle of Bykhovets
Links
Literature
- Kłos, Juliusz. Wilno. Przewodnik krajoznawczy. - Wydanie trzecie poprawione po zgonie autora. - Wilno: Wydawnictwo Wileńskiego oddziału Polskiego Towarzystwa Turystyczniego-krajoznawczego, 1937. - S. 204-207. - 323 p. (polish)
- Venclova, Tomas. Wilno. Przewodnik / Tłumaczenie Beata Piasecka. - Wydanie czwarte. - Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2006 .-- S. 161-163. - 216 p. - 15,000 copies. - ISBN 9986-830-47-8 . (polish)
- Čaplikas, Antanas Rimvydas. Pranciškonų vienuolynas // Vilniaus gatvių istorija. Šv. Jono, Dominikonų, Trakų gatvės. Apybraiža. - Vilnius: Charibdė, 1998 .-- S. 248-266. - 304 p. - 2000 copies. - ISBN 9986-745-13-6 . (lit.)