Kelionė į ramybės kalną. Pažaislio kamaldulių vienuolyno dailės ikonologija

LTMokslo monografijoje, kitaip – kelionėje į Ramybės kalną, susipažinsime su unikaliu Pažaislio kamaldulių vienuolyno meniniu palikimu, kamalduliškąja ikonografija, dvasingumo tradicija. Šioje knygoje siekiama, remiantis archyviniais dokumentais, literatūros šaltiniais ir gausia empirine medžiaga, atskleisti daugiasluoksnę kamaldulių vienuolyno kaip vientiso kūrinio, nors ir sudaryto iš atskirų segmentų, ikonografinę programą. Aptariant šio išskirtinio objekto architektūros ir dailės kūrinius atsižvelgiama ir į jų paskirtį, ir į esminę idėją, t. y. į tuos dalykus, kurių nenusineša skubantis laikas. Monografijoje į daugelį iškilusių klausimų rasime išsamių ir įtikinamų atsakymų. [Anotacija knygoje]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Pažaislio vienuolynas; Vienuolynai; Bažnyčių dekoravimas; Krikščionių dailė ir simbolika; Pažaislis monastery; Monasteries; Church decoration; Christian art and symbolism.

ENThe mysterious attraction and matchless charm of the Pažaislis Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Camaldolese Monastery has excited people's imagination for years. Various stories and legends were created, in the 19th century especially, which would help us understand the phenomenon of this sacral ensemble better. 20th-century researchers of Pažaislis' history and art could not struggle free from the stereotypes and traps of the past due to different reasons for a number of years as well. It should be noted that the Camaldolese Monastery was considered to be the most significant hermitage in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as well as Poland right from its establishment at that time, and the endowment of the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Krzysztof Zygmunt Рас (Kristupas Zigmantas Pacas in Lithuanian) had no equal in the entire region then and later on. It belonged to the main congregation of Camaldolese eremites Eremitarum Camaldulensium Möns Coronae. Little is known about the architectural, artistic, literary and spiritual heritage of the Camaldolese monkhood, despite the abundance of various articles in recent times. The first and only scientific study about Pažaislis Monastery conducted in the first half of the 20th century is the monograph Pažaislis, Baroque Monastery in Lithuania written in German by Halina Kairiūkštytė-Jacynienė, which was published in Kaunas in 1928. The title of the publication is actually quite precise as the scientist researched the Pažaislis Camaldolese Monastery ensemble only as an object of Baroque art and focused mostly on the innovative architecture of the church and monastery. The iconology of art of a sophisticated Baroque art object such as the Pažaislis Monastery is analyzed here comprehensively for the first time. [...].When the material was collected, a pioneering spirit was required in the search for art works, in their recognition and restoration, and in studying the themes and plots of the mural paintings. Not a single former altar survived in the monastery that was returned to the Lithuanian congregation of the Sisters of St Casimir in 1992; the majority of art works ended up in museum funds, private hands or was handed over to other churches, usually outside of Lithuania after the years 1832, 1912-1914 and 1948. When this research was started, the location of objects of relevance was usually not known, and some art works (for instance, some previously painted-over mural paintings) were restored during the research. The monograph gives a summary of the scrupulous, diligent work that was conducted, the results of which have already been announced partly as separate articles in various publications and as reports read in more than a dozen conferences in Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, and Germany Nonetheless, the author wished to systemize and summarize the material that has been spread and scattered widely in various publications, and to present it in its entirety. As the research continued for a long time, the existing material had to be replenished with new data several times or, in other cases, previously announced facts had to be revised. On the other hand, research of the Pažaislis Camaldolese Monastery has not been finished yet. However, the information gathered thus far makes it possible to reveal the symbolic content of the interior decor of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Camaldolese Monastery, and to highlight the manifestations of Camaldolese spirituality in the context of the iconographic program of the Pažaislis ensemble as a whole.The monograph was prepared based primarily on written and iconographic sources and on-site research. A rather large amount of archival documents of the Pažaislis Camaldolese Monastery, which were known only partially or had not previously been analyzed, and which were scattered in different archives, was used. Also, one should keep in mind that all Baroque art is distinguished by a particularly iconological form of portrayal. Therefore, the trip starts with the First Gate that is marked by square granite columns, the Grand Gate and the Sacred Gate, and ends with the church and all its surrounding premises. Artists who worked here, the treasury and library of the monastery will be remembered at the end of the trip. The crypts also deserve a visit. It is important to explore the restoration of the Pažaislis Camaldolese Monastery when analyzing the mistakes that were made and their consequences. [From the publication]