The Lithuanian Parthenon
Just as the Greek Parthenon is one of the greatest cultural monuments of
the world, the Cathedral of Vilnius is one of the most wonderful pearls of Lithuanian
culture. The history of both of these temples is similar: the buildings have been
damaged and rebuilt on more than one occasion and they are both closely related to the
region’s history. The old Greek Parthenon was dedicated to the goddess Athena, the
Lithuanian Parthenon to two saints: St. Stanislaus and St. Vladislav. In reality, the
Vilnius Cathedral honours many famous names and many well-known historical
figures and therefore this cultural monument is a symbol of the spirit of the Lithuanian
nation.
The Cathedral of Vilnius. Photograph by Bernadeta Petronytė
The beginning of the history of the Lithuanian Parthenon – the Cathedral
of Vilnius – dates back to the 13th century. It is thought that the building was
originally King Mindaugas’ Cathedral, and then became a pagan temple after
Mindaugas’ death. Later, in 1419, the old cathedral burned down and in its place the
Grand Duke Vytautas built a new larger aisled gothic cathedral. The building caught
fire many times – once in 1530 and again in 1610. After each fire, the temple was
rebuilt in accordance with specific canons of that epoch, but the holy place remained
the same. In 1655, during the war between Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth, when Vilnius was occupied by the Russian army for the first time in
history, the temple was pillaged and damaged severely. In 1949 the Cathedral was
closed by Soviet occupants, as it was set to be turned into a garage or workshop. Such
drastic actions were not taken, and in 1956 the building was repurposed as an art
gallery. On the 22nd of October, 1988, during a “Sąjūdis” convention, the return of the
Cathedral to the pious was announced, and on February 5th, 1989, the temple was
consecrated. On the 4th of March of the same year the coffin with St. Casimir’s
remains was ceremoniously brought to the Cathedral, and the apostolic visit to
Lithuania on the 4th of September 1993 began with the Pope John Paul II’s prayer in
the temple.
The Cathedral of Vilnius. Photograph by Bernadeta Petronytė
The Cathedral of Vilnius has seen many great rulers: in 1529 the
Lithuanian Duke Žygimantas Augustas was crowned in the Cathedral, and since 1993
the presidents of our country have been inaugurated here. The building has also served
as a necropolis for famous people of Lithuania – the temple holds the remains of
Vytautas the Great and his wife, his brother Žygimantas Kęstutaitis, Švitrigaila,
Žygimantas Kęstutaitis’ son Mykolas, St. Casimir and the two wives of Žygimantas
Augustas: Elisabeth of Austria and Barbora Radvilaitė, Jonas Žygimantaitis. There is
also an urn with the heart of St. Vladislav. The bishops and members of the chapter of
Vilnius are also buried here.
The last reconstruction of the Lithuanian Parthenon was carried out in the
18th century according to a project by the architect Laurynas Stuoka-Gucevičius. The
reconstruction was commissioned by the bishop of Vilnius, Ignotas Jokūbas Masalskis.
L. Stuoka-Gucevičius was the pioneer of Lithuanian classicism architecture. His
architectural legacy makes up a great part of Lithuanian culture. The Vilnius
Gediminas Technical University’s Architectural faculty, which fosters the greatest
contemporary Lithuanian architects, was named in his honour. L. Stuoka-Gucevičius’
cathedral is a masterfully formed building of a single, harmonious style. It is a grand
and monumental structure. Stuoka-Gucevičius reconstructed the church and managed
to salvage two thirds of the old authentic building. The Cathedral was rebuilt keeping
the continuity of tradition in mind, but also with a nod towards the architecture of the
Antiquity. This is most noticeable in the floor plan of the building, which is similar to
both the Greek Parthenon and to the traditional plans of Lithuanian gothic and baroque
churches. The only difference is that instead of towers in the corners of the main body,
the architect chose to build massive chapels. He also placed twelve doric columns
under the organ gallery and decorated the grand altar with a portico of four doric
columns. The pediment of the Cathedral is decorated with three monumental statues:
St. Stanislaus, St. Helena and St. Casimir. The portico is composed of six columns.
The Cathedral of Vilnius represents L. Stuoka-Gucevičius’ attitude towards
architecture: “The beauty and harmony of a building lies not in empty decorations and
embellishments, but in the consonant relation of separate details with each other and as
a whole”. The harmonious view of arts of the artisans of the Antiquity, their
moderation – these were the values that were important to the Lithuanian architect L.
Stuoka-Gucevičius.
The Cathedral of Vilnius. Photograph by Bernadeta Petronytė
Nowadays people gather to the Cathedral not only for Mass, but also to
admire the modest, subtly beautiful architecture, to study the inscriptions in Latin, to
remember their history, their national cultural heritage.
The Cathedral of Vilnius. Photograph by Bernadeta Petronytė
The Cathedral of Vilnius is not just one of the most important cultural
buildings standing in the heart of the capital of Lithuania. This temple, according to
Lithuanian poet Justinas Marcinkevičius, is the building of man’s spiritual ideals. It is
the symbol of all of Lithuania – with a painful history, proud people who love their
homeland, with clear architectural and axiological references to the great Greek
Parthenon. These are our historic roots, displaying an obvious connection to the
culture of the Antiquity It is the heart of our small nation, beating loudly to the entire
world.
Bernadeta Petronytė, a student of Vilniaus Salomėjos Nėries gymnasium
Titas Vilkaitis, a student of Vilniaus Salomėjos Nėries gymnasium
Onutė Baumilienė, a board member of Lithuanian Classics Association,
a teacher of Vilniaus Salomėjos Nėries gymnasium