The Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit (russian: Церковь Святого Духа; lt, Vilniaus Šv. Dvasios vienuolyno katedra) is a

Russian Orthodox Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...

church in the

Vilnius Old Town The Old Town of Vilnius ( lt, Vilniaus senamiestis, pl, Stare Miasto w Wilnie, be, Стары горад у Вільнюсе, russian: Старый город в Вильнюсe), one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in both Norther ...

, capital of Lithuania, rebuilt 1749–1753 in the Vilnian Baroque style. It should not be confused with the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius.

History

The site of the present church used to be occupied by a wooden church, following the form a Latin cross, erected in 1638, when Vilnius was part of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

. Associated with the church was a convent, opened in 1567. After a fire gutted the wooden church in the 18th century, a stone church was erected in 1749–1753 in the Baroque style, with details of the interior in

Roccoco Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

style. It was designed by Johann Christoph Glaubitz, an architect of German descent who was noted for developing a Lithuanian school of

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...

, known as Vilnian Baroque.

Architecture

In the 19th century, when Vilnius was part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

, several

Byzantine Revival Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Ortho ...

architectural elements were added to the church, but it nevertheless retained its essentially Baroque form. Indeed, the added Orthodox frescoes, Iconostasis and dome enhanced its magnificence, as did the addition of deep blue and green interior decor. Unusual in an Orthodox church are the

Scagliola Scagliola (from the Italian ''scaglia'', meaning "chips") is a type of fine plaster used in architecture and sculpture. The same term identifies the technique for producing columns, sculptures, and other architectural elements that resemble inla ...

(simulated marble) sculptures. A new reliquary was added in 1853. In the crypt lie the remains of Saints

Anthony, John, and Eustathios Anthony, John, and Eustathius (''Eustathios, Eustace''; Russian: Антоний, Иоанн and Евстафий; Lithuanian: Antanas, Jonas ir Eustachijus) are saints and martyrs (died 1347) of the Russian Orthodox Church. Their feast day is ...

. A tradition of the church is to cloak them in black during Lent, in white at Christmas and in red on other major religious holidays.

Present

The Church of the Holy Spirit is the major Orthodox church in Lithuania, and it is affiliated with two Orthodox monasteries: The Monastery of the Holy Spirit and the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalen. These are the only remaining Orthodox monasteries in Lithuania.

Gallery

File:Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius2.JPG , Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit — exterior File:Orthodox-Church-Holy-Spirit Vilnius.jpg, Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit - exterior File:Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit 1, Vilnius, Lithuania - Diliff.jpg, Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit — interior File:Vilnius - Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit 01.jpg, Another view of the Iconostasis File:Swducha cerkiew av4.jpg, Dome, Church of Holy Spirit, Vilnius File:Wilno - relikwie meczennikow wilenskich.JPG, Reliquary of the Martyrs of Vilnius File:Anthony, John, and Eustathios in Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius-2.jpg, Another view of the relics of the martyrs

External links

Vilnius Tourism

inyourpocket.com
{{coord, 54, 40, 32, N, 25, 17, 27, E, region:LT_type:landmark, display=title Eastern Orthodox churches in Lithuania Churches in Vilnius 18th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings Church buildings with domes 18th-century churches in Lithuania