Joniškio rajono varpai

LTStraipsnyje apibūdinami XVII–XX a. pagaminti Joniškio rajono bažnyčių ir kapinių koplyčių varpai, apžvelgiama jų istorija. Pasitelkus natūrinių tyrimų metu sukauptą medžiagą, pirmą kartą publikuojami į vieną vietą surinkti duomenys apie rajone esančius varpus ir juos gaminusius meistrus. Rengiant šią publikaciją, atlikta Joniškio rajono varpų inventorizacija ir jų mokslinė atribucija, nustatyti didelės dalies varpų gamintojai, ne tik išanalizavus ant jų esančius įrašus, bet ir pasitelkus gausią palyginamąją medžiagą. Prie straipsnio pridėtas pirmą kartą Lietuvoje skelbiamas varpų katalogas. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Albertus Czerzniewski; Brolių Usačiovų gamykla; Joniškis; Skaistgirys; Varnių varpų liejykla; Varpai; Varpas; Varpų liejikai; Varpų liejikas; Žagarė; Albertus Czerzniewski; Bell; Bells; Bell–caster; Bell–casters; Brothers Usachev factory; Joniškis; Skaistgirys; Varniai bell foundry; Žagarė.

ENIn Northern Lithuania, Joniškis region on the border with Latvia distinguishes itself from other regions of Lithuania as having a large number of old surviving bells. In Joniškis region the first Christian churches were built very late, only in the end of the 15th century or the first part of the 16th century. Only then the first church bells could be made. The oldest surviving church bell belongs to the church of Naujoji Žagarė (New Žagarė); it was cast in 1611 and may be the work of Merten Hofman, the caster of bells and cannons who came from the Netherlands (?) and worked in Vilnius. During the wars with Sweden, especially during the Northern War in the beginning of the 18th century, the Catholic churches of Joniškis region were severely damaged. Shortly after the war the new church bells were cast. In Kalnelis Church there survived the bell cast in 1729 by Carol Gottlieb Sparr, a bell caster who worked in Vilnius. It is now the second oldest bell in the region. The only one known to us bell signed by a little-known bell caster Antanas Paškevičius (Paszkiewicz) who most probably worked in Samogitia is kept in Joniškis Church and is of great scientific value. Many bells of Joniškis region churches were cast in Varniai (Samogitia) where in 1786–1831 was a bell foundry which worked for Samogitian diocese. Most of these bells belong to Joniškis Church and its chapels. Their emergence is linked to Samogitian auxiliary bishop Adomas Juozapas Koscia who worked in Joniškis in the end of the 18th century and influenced the establishment of the foundry. Many bells were made in the present territory of Latvia. Some of them were cast in the 18th century by the masters who worked in the Duchy of Courland’s capital Mintauja (Mittau). The oldest of them was cast in 1718 for Skaistgirys chapel by Philip Jacob Ginther (Günther).However, in 1915 it was evacuated to Russia from which it was brought back by the Poles. The further fate of the bell is unknown. In 1740 Ernst Friedrich Fechter cast the bell for Senoji Žagarė (Old Žagarė) Church, in 1768 two bells for Kriukai Church, and in 1781 Johann Maurer cast a bell for Gasčiūnai Church. A few more bells were cast by the masters in Riga: a missing Jakiškiai chapel bell made in 178? by Johann August Hetzel and two bells by Johann Christoph Schwenn – in Žagarė churchyard chapel (1890) and Skaistgirys Church (1900). Juodeikiai Church has a bell cast in the 6th or 7th decade of the 19th century by C. J. Seebode who worked in Uexküll (now Ikšķile) not far from Riga. Though Lithuania already from 1794 was a part of the Russian Empire, only some Russian bells are found in Joniškis region. They are a bell in the second part of the 19th century cast in Moscow Samgin foundry – now in Žukančiai Church – and a bell in 1906 cast in Valdai, Brothers Usachev foundry – now in Gasčiūnai Church. The bell of Rudiškės Church cast in 1865 is of great scientific value. It was brought to that church after the World War II when a part of evacuated in 1915 to Russia bells was returned from the Soviet Union. That bell most probably was cast in Wincenty Włodkowski’s or his heirs’ foundry perhaps in Ruzhany (present Belorussia). It is the last bell in which we can still see the traces of bell casting traditions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The youngest bell of Joniškis region was cast during the World War II – in 1944, most probably just before the second Soviet occupation. It was cast underground by the workers of one of the foundries in Kaunas. No new bells were bought either during the years of the Soviet regime or 20 years of independent Lithuania. [From the publication]