THE CHURCH OF SAINT VIRGIN'S APPARITION

in Vilnius, Lithuania

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

HISTORY OF THE KURSK ROOTS ICON OF THE SAINT VIRGIN'S APPARITION

THE LIFE OF PARISH TODAY

SOME ORTHODOX SITES ON THE WEB

The church situated in the Zvórynas west district of Vilnius is rightfully well-nown as one of the most beatiful churches of the town. Dominating a high hill on a rapid river, buried in verdure, as if it soar in the air, the curch crowns the vista of Gediminas-avenue, the central street of Vilnius.

The idea to build a curch in this town district was born in the Holy Spirit monastic fraternity of Vilna. When the fraternity decided to build a curch in this town district, there lived 2.5 thousad orthodox believers. They collected money, and on October 14, 1899 the church stone-laying ceremony was sanctified by Yuvenalius, Archbishop of Vilna and Lithuania.

The site on Neris riverside had been well chosen. Vassili Martinson, the owner of Zvórynas district (district's name of that time was not Zvórynas, but Alexadria) placed the area for church construction of 6,300 mý (its cost evaluated as that of 50,000 roubles) at the disposal of the orthodox parish.

The construction and the expenditure for church equipment accounted for 100,000 roubles, the most part of this sum consisted of donations, including donations made by His Majesty the tsar Nikolay II, by the Sacred Synod and by Archbishops Hieronym and Yuvenalius; but the greatest donations were made by Ivan Vassiliev, engineer from Moscow, and A.Kryukov, professor at the Technological School of Moscow. Both donors sent to the church through the Archbishop Yuvenalius 40,000 roubles.

The work superintendent Nikolai Mavrikin leading construction work made also a donation: he flagged particoloured floor at his own expense; its inlay design was beautiful and unique. The building socle has been faced with masonry, the whole of the church was bricked with adorned decorative tile and has been crowned with cupolas in Byzantine style. After finishing construction the church rooms were painted with oil-colour. The oak iconostasis with fretwork, as well as other parts of church interior furniture, were manufactured by Molokin, an inhabitant engraver. It costed 5,000 roubles. On the left side of the iconostasis there was a local replica of the Kursk icon of Saint Virgin's apparition in adorned setting framework. It was a donation made by archbishop Yuvenalius.***)

The bell tower which makes an entity with the church building had relatively small bells, their aggregate weight made up not more than 3,200 kg and they costed 3,5 thousand roubles.

The construction of the church has been finished in 1903, and on June 1, 1903 the inauguration of the church was consecrated by the Archbishop Yuvenalius. The transference of Archbishop Yuvenalius from Kursk to Vilna was also an occasion to this solemnity.

The first priest of the church was the archpriest Climent (Smolski); he made the first divine service. Later the divine service was allways held there in spite of all hindrances at different times. In 1906 the river has been spanned with a bridge and by means of it the parish became more numerous. Near the church an edifice was built, in its ground floor the orphanage "Saint-Yoan of Kronstadt" was opened and in its first floor flats of priests were situated. Besides, the Holy Spirit monastic fraternity bought a building near the future church. In this building the church parish fonded a school for boys and girls with separate teaching. The church had a library and many priests carried out instructive and elucidative work for town inhabitants.

The years of aggressive atheism had bad consequences for the church: in spite of efforts made by their priests and by the depleted parish, the church fell into decay; the roof become leaky, the heating fell into disrepair, the window-glass burst, the window-frames became cracked. The grave of archpriest Vladimir (Mochulski), who had been buried on March 16 (29) 1911 under the wall of the church, was razed to the ground. The grave of Vassili Martinson, one of church-donors and the former owner of Alexandria, who died in abject poverty and whose last will was to be bured near the church, had the same destiny. At present the grave of archpriest Vladimir has been restored. The grave of Vassili Martinson, who contributed so much to the church flowering, is beeng re-established.

On March 8, 1889 a bomb exploded in the church of the Saint Virgin's Apparition monastery; this sacrilege caused a great damage to the church, but the Kursk Roots icon of the Saint Virgin's Apparition which was in the church had not been damaged, even the glass on the setting framework remained safe. It was only one of many manifestations of wonder-working power of the sacred thing. This icon appeared to people in 1295 as consolation after the invasion of Tatar hordes in Russian principalities. The icon was found on oak roots in the environs of Kursk (that is why the icon has the additional name "Kursk Roots"). A hunter had scarcely picked up the icon, when the first miracle occured: at that spot much pure spring water welled up. The second wonder happened, when Tatars cut the sacred icon into two pieces, but they miraculously united and accreted. The worship for this icon was so huge in ancient Russia, that in the locality where it had been found the hermitage "Korennaya Pustin" ("Roots hermitage") was built.

The Pseudo-Dimitry ordered, for earn greater authority to bring the icon from Kursk to Putivl into his armed camp and later to Moscow, where the icon was until 1615, and then it again was brought to Kursk. But even being in Moscow the Roots icon patronized Kursk inhabitants: it made retreat Polish troops of general üolkievski from the walles of Kursk with great losses.

In 1676 the miraculous Kursk Roots icon was brought to the Don region to bless the Cossack troops. In 1684 two successors yo the throne, grand duke Joan Alexeyevich and Pyotr Alexeyevich, ordered to have always replicas of this icon in campaigns of Russian troops against enemy. In 1812 a replica of the Roots icon was sent to Kutuzov's Army to encourage Russian soldiers which fought against Napoleon troops.

Saint Virgin liked to escort the exodus of Russians after the October coup d'etat; thus, Odygitria, the name of the icon (in ancient Greek it means "guide") was anew justified. In 1920 the bishop Theophan Kurski, took away the icon to his exile, first to Belgrade, where the icon was until 1944. During the horrible bombardments the icon helped many people to heal and to save themselves miraculously. From 1945 until 1951 the icon was kept in Munich, and there also were noted some wonders: Saint Virgin helped many seriously ill people to heal, and she helped many women and men to find again their relatives being missing.

Since February 5, 1951 on this icon is in the USA, it brings joy and consolation to everybody who had left his homeland.

The beginning of Lithuania's revival coincided with arrival and taking up the duties of the new archpriest Pyotr (Muller). Since then on, he works with inspiration and fervour for spiritual revival of his parish and he looks tireless after repair of the church edifice. Archpriest Pyotr began his activities in 1988. He founded the Sunday school of orthodox religion. The school was the first school of this type in Lithuania and probably the first in the former Soviet Union. The school was destined for people, who had been robbed of the truth light by means of violence and lie. The goal of teaching religion was not only introduct learners into the principles of Christian religion and especially into fundamentals of orthodox dogma, but also to try to change the thinking distorted during the long period of atheism, corruption and lie.

The school learners study the Old and the New Testament,they are being acquainted with the equipment and symbolics of the orthodox church, with fundamentals of the church-service and, what is more, teachers attach great impotance to enrichment of learner's spiritual world; for this purpose music and church singing are also being teached. Learners are being acquainted with the russian orthodox culture; a piligrim trip of children and teachers made in 1991 to orthodox holy things in Pskov and Novgorod served this cause.

Pupils of the religion school study also church Slavonic; recently the school began teaching the principles of icon-painting. A choir group has been organized at the school, this choir gives charity concerts. Learners often listen to lectures made by priests, theologians and artists, which are being sometimes invited by priest Pyotr to Sunday Religion School with that end in view. Pupils go also to conserts given by choirs from other church parishes.

Although the Sunday Religion School had been conceived as school providing general education, their objects and potentialities have became today more broad: school-leavers may be employed as psalm-reader, choir-boys, lay-brothers; for many school-leavers this school can be the first stage for their subsequent clerical education. Because of religion teachers shortage school-leavers are being employed as religion teachers in schools providing general education.

Spiritual revival is inconceivable without charity activities. The church parish founded a charity association named "Blagovolyeniye" ("Benevolence"). The association is named so in honour of the Saint Great Martyr Eudokia (in ancient Greek the name means "Benevolent"). By the way a nave of the church is also named in her honour. The activities of the charity association include assistance for single old men and women as well as for children having no parents love and help, first of all for inmates of Children's Homes. Church school learners take an active part in giving concerts for these people, church holidays are being celebrated together with them. The members of the association help them to find belief in good,justice and eternal truths of our Lord.

In his trouble about spiritual rebirth of his parish archpriest Pyotr continuously makes efforts to the renovation of church edifice and rooms and often he bears himself the expenses for it. The renovated and painted cupolas shine again as in former times. In the yard some new economy buildings have been constructed, a room is being equipped for the church library which had been lost in the old days. Traces of the hard war time on church walls were removed. Cracked windows have been replaced by new ones; it was difficult to do it because of the height and form of windows. At present the installed heating system provides for normal temperature during cold seasons. In the great room of the church a choir gallery conforming to its acoustic properties has been built. This gallery favours the solemn effect of the divine service. The church-porch was renewed and by the entrance new lanterns were installed. The nave which is the only one in Lithuania named in honour of Joan the Baptizer was completely reequipped, fitted out with a church-lustre and church tackle which has been substituted for the lost one under the Soviet power.

Under this power many objects of church property including bells were lost. Owning to the efforts of the archpriest Pyotr and owing to the collections of parish members the bell tower was supplied with several bells founded in Voronezh; the biggest of them weights 280 kg.

Despite mounting economic difficulties and continuous rise in prices the parish goes on with renovating and equipping the church rooms. This work is being made almost exceptionally owing to donations of believers and gifts made by the archpriest. Thus, into the ceiling over the Sanctuary a new round particoloured stained-glass panel has been installed. In the part of the vault where formely were stoves (today these defective stoves have been taken down) rooms for refectory and for charity activities are being fitted out.

The parish also intends to obtain from the mayor the recover of an edifice for equip there the Religion Sunday school situated now in the nave of Saint great martyr Eudokia, because the number of school applicants is for a long time much more than there is room for them in the nave. The church parish has some more purposes, but it must adjourn the realization of them because of money shortage.

Contact us: