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Architecture

The History of the Library Building (The Monument of Architecture)

On 9^th June 1970 by the decision of the Cabinet Council, Lithuanian Technical Library (the former Central Library of Science) was allotted a building located in Giedrio str. 6 (presently Šv. Ignoto str. 6), the building of St. Ignatius Jesuit novitiate in the past. The same year a building restoration project was started. Evaldas Purlys was appointed chief architect. The National Trust for Restoration of the Culture Monuments restored the frescoes. The constructions were performed by Vilnius Construction and Repair Trust. In 1976 the ensemble was started to be renovated and the works lasted for 10 years. In the intervening period, the staff of the Library took part in the thousands of bees as an unwritten agreement with the Clerk of the Works stated: the more premises are cleaned the more premises are to be renovated. Almost all of the underground and other premises used to be filled with rubbish, however the librarians and information specialists managed to clean out tons of them…

The whole architectural ensemble consists of the building complex of the late Renaissance and Baroque architecture: St. Ignatius church and monastery buildings sited round three yards (two of them at the moment are the property of Lithuanian Technical Library and one belongs to the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania). The ensemble covers 13 ha area. The Library is settled in the main buildings of the novitiate, whereas the other buildings are occupied by the Ministry of National Defense, restaurant “Stiklių Bočiai”, St. Christopher symphony orchestra and etc.

The novitiate was founded in 1602-1604. Two small buildings were acquired and renovated in this site and afterwards the Jesuit novitiate was transferred there. In the year of 1605, St. Ignatius Jesuit school–monastery was officially started. Mykolas Bekanas was appointed as the first principal of the school. As the monastery needed an own church, a temporary chapel was built nearby. In 1609 the novitiate already housed 30 novices and 10 monks.

A year away the fierce fire devastated Vilnius. It destroyed the chapel and gutted the buildings of the monastery. The Jesuits seized the occasion and bought at a bargain the land of almost the whole square. They were in funds, had enough sponsors, labor force and building materials. Thus, the construction of the new novitiate building and St. Ignatius church was started immediately.  In 1622 the foundation stone of the church and in 1647 the very church were dedicated.

In 1622-1633 the building of the novitiate expanded considerably and the planned spaces were formed, which remained up to nowadays.

In 1655 the fire once again damaged the buildings.

In 1681 instead of the old building, a gorgeous refectory block (presently a common reading-room) was erected.

Various handicraft workshops operated within the monastery. Some of them featured fine workmanship. Thus not casually in 1705 Peter I, Russian Emperor, visited this place.

The monastery owned a large property as well. There were a bakery, a butchery, an own bravery, a maltkiln, a grain storehouse, a mill, a forge and stables for the livestock.

However, since 1706 the novitiate was subjected to misfortunes. It was badly devastated because of Swedish pillages (Northern War with the Swedish). All the silver was also robbed from the church at the same time. The Tsar army on its way back took away the livestock, provision, houses, carriages and furniture. In the year of 1710, the plague struck Vilnius. It brought to ruin the novitiate, however it somehow continued its existence.

In 1756 in Nesvyžius a second Jesuit school-monastery of this kind was established, thus in Vilnius only 67 people were left.

The year of 1773 was the last year of novitiate existence as Pope Clemens XIV dissolved the Jesuit Order.

1794-1798 Vilnius Diocese Priests’ Seminary functioned in the premises of the monastery. In 1798 the buildings were sold for the barracks, which used to exist in this place up to the beginning of the XX century (there is a claim in literature, that the premises of the monastery were adapted for the barracks by the very Pietro Rossi).

After the Second World War, S. Neris secondary school settled there for a short period, afterwards there was a builders’ hostel.

The most gorgeous is the main block of the former novitiate, which features closed arched galleries in all three floors (up to the second half of the XIX c they were open). The facade is white and the ornamental elements are accentuated by the grey colour (the authentic polychromy fragments have also remained).

A Renaissance possession defense wall with loopholes (St. Ignatius street) is exposed for the visitors in the architectural ensemble. So far it is the only one in Vilnius. The street facade of the gothic one floor house (St. Ignatius street), gothic gates and wicket gates are exposed as well. Spatial layout is sustained in the premises of the Library.

The representative premises of the novitiate used to be painted with genre-figurative and ornamental paintings. The remained frescos, the fragments of the antique decor in the corridors, main reading-room and in other premises witness the former paintings.

The range of colours in figurative paintings is rather dark and rich; steel-green, grey, drab and prune are the dominant colours. Considering the composition, colouring and the motives of the paintings, they are dated to baroque period.

On the second floor, the guilloche of the embrasure with the lily motive was found. Unfortunately, its preservations and restoration failed.

The external decor of the building, window frame paintings (the lesser yard), the so-called “binding” motive on the first floor entry arch is the decoration art of the precedent, renaissance period.

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