Panorama of the Vilna and Lithuanian diocese. Virtual tour of the Vilna and Lithuanian diocese

Lithuania is a predominantly Catholic country. Orthodoxy here is still a religion of national minorities. Orthodox believers living in this Baltic state are dominated by Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. There are very few Orthodox Lithuanians, but they still exist. Moreover, in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, there is the only Orthodox parish in the country, which serves in the Lithuanian language. The community of St. Paraskeva, on Dijoji Street in the central part of the capital, is cared for by Archpriest Vitaly Mockus, an ethnic Lithuanian. He also serves at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilnius and is the secretary of the diocesan administration.

Reference . Father Vitaly was born in 1974 in the village of Saleninkai in central Lithuania, into a Catholic family. He converted to Orthodoxy at the age of 15, in the winter of 1990. Two and a half years later he entered the Minsk Theological Seminary. He completed the full seminary course in three years and was ordained a priest in December 1995. Later he completed external training at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

We talked with Father Vitaly in a small living room at the Church of St. Paraskeva. Father talked about his childhood, about his difficult fate, about his first encounters with Orthodoxy. In the Lithuanian outback, where he lived, Orthodoxy was practically unknown. The only Orthodox resident of Saleninkai, a Russian woman, came there only because she married a Lithuanian. Local children came to her house to look at a strange custom for those parts: how she “drinks tea from a plate” (she really drank tea from a saucer). The future priest remembered well that it was this woman who helped them when serious difficulties arose in the family. It did not escape his eyes that she led a worthy Christian life and testified to Orthodoxy with her deeds, which were stronger than words and convictions.

Probably, the example of the Christian faith and life of this Russian woman was one of the reasons that pushed Vitaly to learn more about Orthodoxy. An inquisitive young man went to Vilnius, to the Holy Spirit Monastery. True, the appearance of the monastery caused genuine surprise: instead of the expected white-stone church with narrow windows and golden domes, Vitaly saw churches built in the classical style and outwardly little distinguishable from Catholic ones. A natural question arose: how then does Orthodoxy in Lithuania differ from Catholicism? The interior of the temple? Yes, there was much less in common here than in architecture. Even less commonality was found in: Orthodox services were more prayerful, beautiful and long. The idea that Orthodoxy and Catholicism are identical or very similar has gone away by itself.

“I started going to the monastery on weekends: I arrived on Friday and stayed until Sunday,” recalls Father Vitaly. “I was received with love and understanding.” It was good that among the clergy there was a Lithuanian, Father Pavel, - I could talk with him on spiritual topics, and it was to him that I confessed for the first time. I didn’t know enough Russian at that time, mainly at the everyday level... Then I decided to stop my studies at the school (I entered there after nine years of school) and at the age of 16 I arrived at the monastery to live permanently. This happened in March 1991. I dreamed of becoming a monk, but things turned out differently. I entered the seminary in Belarus, met a girl there and got married - immediately after graduating from the seminary, in 1995.

By the way, Vitaly’s father’s mother and his brother and sister also accepted Orthodoxy. But among the priest’s acquaintances and friends, the attitude towards his transition to the true faith was ambiguous. It just so happened that Lithuanians associated Orthodoxy with Russians, Russians with everything Soviet, and the USSR was perceived as an occupying state. Therefore, some Lithuanians did not have the kindest opinions about those who became Orthodox.

“I had to experience all this for myself, especially in the first time after the country gained independence,” recalls Father Vitaly. – Sometimes they directly told me that I was going to the occupiers, to the Russians. People didn’t really distinguish between Russian and Soviet, because Soviet was offered in Russian. Although, to be objective, we can remember that the Lithuanians who implanted communist ideology in Lithuania were also Soviet. But I responded to all the accusations that I clearly separate religion from politics, spiritual life from social life. I explained that I was not going to the Soviets or the Russians, but to the Orthodox Church. And the fact that the church mostly speaks Russian does not make it Soviet.

– But in any case, in Lithuania at that time there was a clearly visible attitude towards Orthodoxy as a “Russian faith”? - I ask.

- Yes. And now it exists. If you are Orthodox, then you must be Russian. Not a Belarusian, not a Ukrainian, not someone else, but a Russian. Here they talk about the “Russian faith”, “Russian Christmas” and so on. True, the name itself - the Russian Orthodox Church - contributes to this. But we, for our part, strive in every possible way for non-Orthodox people to talk not about “Russian”, but about Orthodox, because among the Orthodox in Lithuania there are not only Russians, but also Greeks, Georgians, Belarusians, Ukrainians and, of course, Lithuanians themselves. Agree, it is illogical to say “Lithuanian Christmas” when we are talking about Catholic Christmas. On the other hand, at the St. Petersburg Academy I heard the phrase “Polish Christmas.” You could say it was a mirror situation, a look from the other side. Of course, these terms are incorrect; they more reflect the popular, national understanding of Christianity.

“Unfortunately, this understanding is sometimes so ingrained that it is difficult to change,” I thought. We can also talk here about the language of worship and some other points. In this context, Father Vitaly noted that even the choice of a church in which they could serve in Lithuanian had to be approached with a certain degree of caution. The choice, in the end, fell on the church, where, before the formation of a full-fledged community and the appointment of a Lithuanian priest there, services were performed only twice a year - on Christmas and the patronal feast day (November 10). Moreover, from 1960 to 1990, the Church of St. Paraskeva was generally closed: at various times it housed museums, storage facilities and art galleries.

“There was a delicate element of ethnicity in our choice,” explains Father Vitaly. – Still, the Russian-speaking population of Lithuania feels a little abandoned, not entirely needed - especially people who do not know the state language well. They do not have the opportunity to integrate normally into modern Lithuanian society. For such people, an Orthodox church is a kind of “outlet,” a place where they can hear services in the familiar Church Slavonic language and speak with each other in Russian. If we organized services in Lithuanian in a church where there is a permanent community and where they serve in Church Slavonic, we might not be understood. People might have the following thoughts: now, even here we are becoming unnecessary, and we will have to relearn Lithuanian. We still wanted to avoid these difficulties, not to offend or infringe upon Russian-speaking parishioners.

– So, now the main part of the parishioners of the Church of St. Paraskeva are Lithuanians? – I ask a clarifying question.

– We have different people in our church. There are purely Lithuanian families in which they do not speak Russian. But mostly mixed families. Although there is another interesting category of parishioners: non-Lithuanians (Russians, Belarusians, etc.) who are fluent in Lithuanian. It is easier for them to understand the service in Lithuanian than in Church Slavonic. True, over time, when they get to know the service well, they usually move to churches, where they serve in Church Slavonic. To some extent, our church becomes for them the first step on the path to becoming a church member.

“Well, in principle, it is quite understandable when Russian speakers strive for Orthodoxy. But what leads to the true faith of native Lithuanians? What are the reasons for this? I couldn’t help but ask Father Vitaly this question.

“I think there are many reasons for this, and each person, perhaps, would focus on some of his own moments,” answered the priest. – If we try to generalize, we can note such factors as the beauty of Orthodoxy, spirituality, prayer, and worship. For example, we see (with some surprise) that many Catholics come to Lithuanian and even Church Slavonic services, and they order memorial services and prayer services from us. It happens that after a service in a Catholic church they come to us at the Holy Spirit Monastery or other churches and pray at our services. They say that we pray beautifully, that our prayers are long, so you can have time to pray well yourself. For Catholics this turns out to be very important. In general, many people are now getting acquainted with Orthodox theology, traditions and saints (especially since until the 11th century Orthodox and Catholics had common saints). Books about Orthodoxy are published in Lithuanian and works by Orthodox authors are published, and the initiators of the publications are often Catholics themselves. Thus, the works of Alexander Men and Sergius Bulgakov were translated into Lithuanian, and “Notes of Silouan of Athos” were published. Translations are also often done by Catholics, although they approach us with requests to review and edit the translated material.

– What about the translation of liturgical texts? Still, you can’t do without them during services in the Lithuanian language.

– You know, I remember that when I became Orthodox, I was a little offended if they told me that I had become Russian. And I wanted to perform the service in my native language. After all, we, having become Orthodox, continue to love our country, our homeland, just like the apostles who loved their countries in which they were born. To be honest, I had no idea how the process of establishing a service in Lithuanian could take place, but the Lord performed a miracle: the Liturgy in Lithuanian fell into my hands. The most interesting thing is that the translation was made in the second half of the 19th century and published with the blessing of the Holy Synod in the 1880s. True, the text is written in Cyrillic - it’s more than strange to read. At the end of the text there is even a short course on the phonetics of the Lithuanian language. Perhaps the translation was intended for priests who did not know Lithuanian. I have not yet been able to figure out the history of this translation, but the find pushed me to take specific actions. I began to re-translate the Liturgy - after all, the translation of the 19th century was to a large extent Russified and was not entirely suitable for current realities. But I didn’t know how to use the translation, I was afraid that some believers might perceive it as a manifestation of nationalism. Fortunately, the ruling bishop - at that time he was Metropolitan Chrysostom - himself asked me about the prospects of serving in Lithuanian. I replied that such services can be performed... After that, I began to translate even more decisively, involving other people. On January 23, 2005, we celebrated the first Liturgy in Lithuanian. We are gradually translating other liturgical services into Lithuanian.

However, Father Vitaly makes it clear that so far the Lithuanian language is in rather weak demand in Orthodox worship in Lithuania. The majority of parishioners are Russian-speaking; they are accustomed to Church Slavonic and do not see much need for language changes. Moreover, about half of the clergy (including the current ruling bishop, Archbishop Innocent) do not speak Lithuanian adequately. Hence the difficulties - for example, the inability of priests to speak at an official event or the obstacles to teaching the Law of God in schools. Of course, younger priests already know Lithuanian quite well, but still in Lithuania there is clearly a lack of Orthodox clergy who speak the state language.

“This is not the only problem for us,” notes Father Vitaly. – It is quite difficult financially for those priests who serve in small parishes. For example, in northeastern Lithuania there are four temples located relatively close to each other. The priest could live there, in the parish house. But the parishes themselves are so poor and small in number that they cannot support even one priest, without a family. Some of our priests are forced to work in secular jobs, although such a situation for a priest to work from Monday to Friday is rare. There is, for example, a priest - a school director, and his temple is located in the school itself. There is a priest who owns his own clinic. This is an Orthodox clinic, although it is woven into the structure of the state medical system. Our parishioners go there for treatment; among the doctors and staff there there are many of our believers, Orthodox... Priests in rural areas engage in agriculture to support themselves.

– Are there any specific difficulties that may be characteristic of a country dominated by Catholics? – I cannot ignore a difficult issue in the sphere of interfaith relations.

– In principle, relations with the Catholic Church are good; no one creates obstacles for us, including the state. We have the opportunity to teach in schools, build our own churches, and preach. Of course, some situations require delicacy. For example, if we want to visit a nursing home, hospital or school, it is advisable to ask in advance whether there are Orthodox Christians there. Otherwise, misunderstandings may arise: why are we going to Catholics?

“It is clear that the Roman Church will treat the Orthodox word on its territory without any cordiality,” I thought. On the other hand, in Lithuania, despite the obvious dominance of Catholics, there are not so few people to whom, in principle, one can turn Orthodox preaching without regard to the reaction of the Catholic Church. Indeed, during the Soviet era, Russian-speaking specialists were sent to Lithuania, who, as a rule, were “proven” communists, but then, after the collapse of the USSR, they moved away from the dominant ideology. Now they, as well as their children and grandchildren, are beginning to come to the Orthodox Church. According to Father Vitaly, out of 140 thousand Orthodox residents of Lithuania, no more than 5 thousand regularly attend church (they come to services at least once a month, in one of 57 parishes). This means that in Lithuania itself there is ample opportunity for mission among those who are Orthodox by baptism or origin. It is all the more important because this mission is being intercepted by various neo-Protestant groups, which are very active, sometimes even intrusive.

In the current situation, the future of the Orthodox Church in Lithuania largely depends on the success of the mission among non-church people. Of course, native Lithuanians will also come to the Church, including those who left Catholicism, but it is unlikely that their influx will become massive. Services in Lithuanian, preaching in Lithuanian are, of course, important missionary steps that should not be abandoned. However, judging by the fact that over the past ten years there has been no mass conversion of Lithuanians to Orthodoxy, one can hardly expect serious changes in the ethnic composition of the parishioners of the Orthodox Church of Lithuania. Although for God, of course, every person is valuable and important, regardless of his nationality, language and political beliefs.

From the establishment of the metropolitanate to 1375

Under the Lithuanian Metropolitan Theophilos, in 1328, at a council in which bishops Mark of Przemysl, Theodosius of Lutsk, Gregory of Kholmsky and Stefan of Turov participated, Athanasius was installed as bishop of Vladimir, and Theodore as bishop of Galicia.

In 1329, a new metropolitan, Theognostus, came to Rus' and did not recognize Gabriel, who had been installed that year with the participation of Theodore of Galicia, as Bishop of Rostov. While in Novgorod, Theognost, on the initiative of Ivan Kalita, excommunicated Alexander Mikhailovich Tverskoy and the Pskovites who resisted the Horde power. Alexander Mikhailovich left for Lithuania and, having received there the support of the episcopate of the Lithuanian Metropolis and Prince Gediminas, returned to Pskov. In 1331, in Vladimir-Volynsky, Theognost refused to consecrate Arseny (elected by a council of bishops: Theodore of Galitsky, Mark of Przemysl, Gregory of Kholmsky and Athanasius of Vladimir) as bishop of Novgorod and Pskov. Theognostus installed his candidate Vasily in Novgorod. On the way to Novgorod, Vasily in Chernigov concluded an agreement with the Kyiv prince Fedor to accept Fedor’s nephew, Narimunt (Gleb) Gediminovich, into the service in Novgorod. Theognostus in 1331 went to the Horde and Constantinople with complaints against the Russian-Lithuanian bishops and princes, but Patriarch Isaiah elevated the Galician bishop Theodore to the rank of metropolitan. The Lithuanian metropolitan see in the 1330s - 1352 was “unreplaced” and not “abolished”.

At the councils of Galician-Lithuanian bishops in 1332, Pavel was installed as Bishop of Chernigov, in 1335 John was installed as Bishop of Bryansk, and in 1346 Evfimy was installed as Bishop of Smolensk. Bishop Kirill of Belgorod participated in the production of Euthymius. In 1340, Lubart (Dmitry) Gediminovich became Prince of Galicia. By 1345, Polotsk, Turovo-Pinsk, Galician, Vladimir, Przemysl, Lutsk, Kholm, Chernigov, Smolensk, Bryansk and Belgorod dioceses were part of the Galician metropolis. There was a struggle for the Tver diocese and the Pskov Republic between Lithuania and the coalition of the Moscow Principality with the Novgorod Republic. For the Przemysl, Galician, Vladimir and Kholm dioceses there was a war for the Galician-Volyn inheritance (before), as a result of which the southwestern lands of Rus' became part of Poland. The Byzantine historian Nikephoros Grigora wrote in the 1350s that the people of "Rus" are divided into four Rus (Little Rus', Lithuania, Novgorod and Greater Rus'), of which one is almost invincible and does not pay tribute to the Horde; This Russia he called Olgerd's Lithuania. .

In 1354, a year after the death of Theognostus, the Patriarchate of Constantinople elevated the Moscow student of Theognostos, Bishop Alexy of Vladimir, to the rank of metropolitan. In 1355, the Patriarch of Tarnovo elevated Roman to the Lithuanian metropolitan see, whom the Rogozh chronicler called the son of a Tver boyar, and historians attributed to the relatives of Juliania, the second wife of Olgerd. A dispute arose between Roman and Alexy over Kyiv, and in 1356 they both came to Constantinople. Patriarch Callistus assigned Lithuania and Little Rus' to Roman, but Roman also established himself in Kyiv. Russian chronicles report that Metropolitan Alexy came to Kyiv in 1358, was arrested here, but was able to escape to Moscow. In 1360 Roman came to Tver. By this time, the Lithuanian-Russian metropolitanate included the Polotsk, Turov, Vladimir, Przemysl, Galician, Lutsk, Kholm, Chernigov, Smolensk, Bryansk and Belgorod dioceses. The claims of Metropolitan Alexy of Kiev and All Rus' to Metropolitan Roman of Lithuania were sorted out at the Synod of Constantinople in July 1361, which assigned to Roman the western bishoprics of Lithuania (Polotsk, Turov and Novgorod bishoprics) and the dioceses of Little Rus'. Roman's dispute with Alexy over Kyiv ended with Roman's death in 1362. In 1362, the Lithuanian princes liberated the areas south of the Kiev region and Galician lands from Tatar rule, thus annexing the ancient Belgorod (Ackerman) diocese and part of the Moldovan-Vlash lands, the Orthodox population of which was cared for by Galician bishops.

Under Metropolitan Cyprian (1375-1406)

Shortly before his death (November 5, 1370), the Polish king Casimir III wrote a letter to Patriarch Philotheus in which he asked to appoint Galician Bishop Anthony as metropolitan of the Polish possessions. In May 1371, a conciliar decree signed by Patriarch Philotheus was issued, which entrusted the Metropolitan of Galicia with the Kholm, Turov, Przemysl and Vladimir dioceses to Bishop Anthony. Anthony was to install bishops in Kholm, Turov, Przemysl and Vladimir with the assistance of Metropolitan Ugrovlahia. Expressing the will of the Orthodox people, Grand Duke Olgerd wrote messages to Constantinople asking for the installation of a metropolitan in Lithuania independent of Poland and Moscow, and in 1373 Patriarch Philotheus sent his ecclesiarch Cyprian to the Kiev Metropolis, who was supposed to reconcile the Lithuanian and Tver princes with Alexy. Cyprian managed to reconcile the warring parties. But in the summer of 1375, Alexy blessed the troops of his diocese to march on Tver, and on December 2, 1375, Patriarch Philotheus ordained Cyprian as metropolitan Kyiv, Russian and Lithuanian, and the Patriarchal Council decided that after the death of Metropolitan Alexy Cyprian should be “one metropolitan of all Rus'.” For this, Emperor John V Palaiologos and Patriarch Philotheus were called “Litvins” in Moscow. On June 9, 1376, Cyprian arrived in Kyiv, ruled by the Lithuanian prince Vladimir Olgerdovich. In 1376-1377 and from the summer of 1380, Cyprian dealt with church and church-economic issues in Lithuania. After the death of Alexy in 1378, Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich refused to accept Cyprian (his people robbed the metropolitan and did not let him into Moscow), for which the prince and his people were excommunicated and cursed according to the rite of the Psalmocatharians by a special message from Cyprian. In 1380, Cyprian blessed the Orthodox of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for victory in the Battle of Kulikovo. In the office of Metropolitan Cyprian, a list was compiled “of all Russian cities far and near,” which lists the cities of Orthodox dioceses (except Lithuanian proper, many cities from the Danube in the south, Przemysl and Brynesk in the west to Ladoga and Bela Ozero in the north).

In the summer of 1387, Cyprian convinced Vytautas to lead the resistance to the Polish-Latin expansion into Lithuania and laid the foundation for the future union of the great duchies of Lithuania and Moscow: he betrothed Vytautas’s daughter Sophia to the Moscow prince Vasily. After the February 1389 Council of Constantinople under Patriarch Anthony, the northeastern Russian dioceses submitted to Metropolitan Cyprian. In 1396-1397, he negotiated a union between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in the fight against Muslim aggression. After 1394, the ecclesiastical authority of the Metropolitan of All Rus' extended to Galicia and Moldo-Vlahia.

Period 1406-1441

In 1409, the new Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus', Photius, arrived in Kyiv from Constantinople. The final liquidation of the Galician Metropolis dates back to the same time. In the first half of the 1410s, Photius was accused of a grave sin, for which the hierarch was worthy of being ejected from the Church and cursed. The Lithuanian-Kyiv bishops wrote a letter to Photius, in which they substantiated their refusal to submit to a non-canonical hierarch. Grand Duke Vytautas expelled Photius from Kyiv and turned to Emperor Manuel with a request to give Lithuanian Rus' a worthy metropolitan. The emperor “for the profits of the unrighteous” did not satisfy Vytautas’ request. . Having not received satisfaction of his request, Grand Duke Vitovt gathered the Lithuanian-Russian princes, boyars, nobles, archimandrites, abbots, monks and priests for a council. On November 15, 1415, in Novgorod of Lithuania, Archbishop Theodosius of Polotsk and Bishops Isaac of Chernigov, Dionysius of Lutsk, Gerasim of Vladimir, Galasiy of Przemysl, Savastyan of Smolensk, Khariton of Kholm and Evfimy of Turov signed a conciliar letter on the election of the Moldovan-Vlachian Bishop Gregory and his consecration as Metropolitan of Ki Evsky and all Russia according to the rules of the Holy Apostles and according to the examples recognized by the Ecumenical Orthodox Church that formerly existed in Russia, in Bulgaria and Serbia. Photius sent out letters cursing Lithuanian Christians and calling not to recognize Gregory as a canonical metropolitan. At the Council of Constance in 1418, Gregory Tsamblak refused to transfer the Lithuanian metropolitanate to the Roman throne. Based on the false report of the Russian chronicler about the death of Gregory in 1420 and information about Photius’s trips to Lithuania for negotiations with Vytautas, the opinion was established in historiography that the Lithuanian dioceses recognized the ecclesiastical authority of Metropolitan Photius from 1420. It is now known that Gregory moved to Moldo-Vlachia around 1431-1432, where he worked in the book field for about 20 years, accepting the schema with the name Gabriel at the Nyametsky monastery). At the end of 1432 or the beginning of 1433, Patriarch Joseph II elevated Smolensk Bishop Gerasim to the rank of Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus'. On May 26, 1434, Gerasim consecrated Euthymius II (Vyazhitsky) Bishop of Novgorod. Moscow did not want to recognize Gerasim, and suspicions of Gerasim’s alliance with Catholics were fabricated against him in the Horde-Moscow-Polish ambassadorial circle. Based on this suspicion, Prince Svidrigailo, during the civil war between adherents of the “old faith” and supporters of Polish-Catholic hegemony in 1435, ordered the burning of Gerasim in Vitebsk (as a result of this crime, Svidrigailo was defeated by the pro-Polish party).

In 1436, Patriarch Joseph II elevated the most educated representative of the Constantinople clergy, Isidore, to the rank of Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus'. Thanks to the authority of Metropolitan Isidore, the alliance of Orthodox and Catholics against the coalition of the Ottoman Empire and the Horde on July 5, 1439 was formalized at the Ferraro-Florence Ecumenical Council, where the canonicity of both the Catholic and Orthodox church organizations of believers was recognized. Pope Eugene IV on December 18, 1439 added to the Orthodox title of Isidore, equal to the metropolitan, the title of cardinal of the Roman Church and appointed him legate of the Catholic provinces of Poland (Galicia), Rus', Lithuania and Livonia. Returning from Florence, Isidore at the beginning of 1440 sent a district message from Buda-Pest, in which he announced the recognition by the Roman Church of the canonicity of the Orthodox and called on Christians of different faiths to peaceful coexistence, which helped the Lithuanians install 13-year-old Casimir (son Sofia Andreevna, former Orthodox, fourth wife of Jagiello-Vladislav), who then built several Orthodox churches of John the Baptist in Lithuania. In 1440 - early 1441, Isidore traveled around the dioceses of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (he was in Przemysl, Lvov, Galich, Kholm, Vilna, Kyiv and other cities). But when Metropolitan Isidore arrived in Moscow in March 1441, he was taken into custody and, under threat of death, they demanded that he renounce the anti-Muslim alliance, but he managed to escape from captivity. In 1448, Saint Jonah was elected metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus' by a council of Russian bishops. The installation of Jonah is considered the beginning of the actual independence (autocephaly) of the northeastern Russian dioceses. The successors of Jonah (c) were already only Moscow metropolitans.

Period 1441-1686

In the 1450s, Metropolitan Isidore was in Rome and Constantinople. In 1451, Casimir IV called on his subjects to “honor Jonah as the metropolitan’s father and obey him in spiritual matters,” but the orders of the Catholic layman did not have canonical force. Isidore took part in the defense of Constantinople in 1453, was captured by the Turks, sold into slavery, escaped, and only in 1458, having become Patriarch of Constantinople, he installed his former protodeacon Gregory (Bulgarin) as Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and All Rus'. Isidore administered the Orthodox dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople not from Constantinople captured by the Turks, but from Rome, where he died on April 27, 1463. Gregory the Bulgarian was not allowed to govern the bishoprics subject to Moscow and for 15 years he ruled only the dioceses of Lithuania. In 1470, Gregory's status was confirmed by the new Patriarch of Constantinople, Dionysius I. (Greek) Russian . In the same year, the Novgorodians considered it necessary to send a candidate to replace the deceased Archbishop Jonah for ordination not to the Moscow Metropolitan, but to the Kiev Metropolitan, which was one of the reasons for Ivan III’s first campaign against Novgorod ().

The proposed unification of Christians at the Council in Florence to fight Muslim aggression turned out to be ineffective (Catholics did not save Constantinople from being captured by the Ottomans). After the fall of the capital of the Byzantine Empire and the replacement of the power of the Christian Emperor of Constantinople with the power of the Muslim Sultan in the metropolises of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the importance of secular rulers increased significantly, whose power became stronger than the power of spiritual rulers. On September 15, 1475, at the consecrated Council in Constantinople, the monk of the Athos Monastery, Spyridon, was elected and ordained Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus'. However, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Casimir IV, apparently at the request of his son Casimir, did not allow the new hierarch of the Russian Church to manage his dioceses and exiled Spiridon to Punia, and on the metropolitan throne he confirmed the Smolensk archbishop from the family of Russian princes Pestruch - Misail, who On March 12, 1476, he signed a letter to Pope Sixtus IV (the pope responded to this letter with a bull, in which he recognized the Eastern rite as equal to the Latin). While in exile, Spyridon continued to communicate with his flock (the “Exposition on Our True Orthodox Faith” and “The Word on the Descent of the Holy Spirit”, written by him in Lithuania, have been preserved). The installation of Spiridon as Metropolitan of All Rus' caused concern among Moscow rulers, who called the Metropolitan Satan. In the “approved” letter of Bishop Vassian, who received the Tver See from the Moscow Metropolitan in 1477, it is specifically stated: “And to Metropolitan Spiridon, called Satan, who sought an appointment in Constantinople, in the region of the godless Turks, from the filthy king, or whoever another metropolitan will be appointed from Latin or from the Tours region, do not approach me with him, nor have any connection with him, nor have any connection with him.” From Lithuania, Spiridon moved to the territory of the Novgorod Republic (conquered by Ivan III in 1478) or the Principality of Tver, which was captured by Ivan III in 1485. The arrested Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and All Rus' was exiled to the Ferapontov Monastery, where he managed to exert a significant influence on the development of the non-acquisitive monastic movement in the northern lands of the Moscow Metropolis, led the development of the Belozersk icon painting school, and in 1503 wrote the Life of the Solovetsky miracle workers Zosima and Savvaty. In the last years of his life, Spiridon, fulfilling the order of Vasily III, composed the legendary “Epistle on the Crown of Monomakh,” in which he described the origin of the Moscow princes from the Roman Emperor Augustus.

After Serapion's departure from Lithuania, the Orthodox bishops of the Kyiv Metropolis chose Archbishop Simeon of Polotsk as their metropolitan. King Casimir IV allowed him to gain approval in Constantinople. Patriarch Maximus of Constantinople approved Simeon and sent him a “Blessed Letter”, in which he addressed not only him, but also all the bishops, priests and faithful of the Holy Church. The patriarchal message was brought by two exarchs: Metropolitan Niphon of Aeneas and Bishop Theodoret of Ipanea, who in 1481 enthroned the new metropolitan together with the bishops of the metropolis of Kyiv, Galicia and All Rus' in Novgorod of Lithuania. The election of Simeon put an end to the misunderstandings associated with the arrest of Spiridon and the activities of the uncanonically named Metropolitan Misail. After Simeon's approval, the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey in 1482 took and burned Kyiv and the Pechersky Monastery, and robbed the St. Sophia Cathedral. Metropolitan Simeon appointed Macarius (the future Metropolitan of Kyiv) as archimandrite of the Vilna Trinity Monastery and ordained Archimandrite Vassian to the rank of Bishop of Vladimir and Brest.

After the death of Metropolitan Simeon (1488), the Orthodox elected to the throne of the Kiev Metropolis “a holy man, especially punished in the scriptures, who was able to use others and who opposed our law, a strong vigilante,” Archbishop Jonah (Glezna) of Polotsk. The chosen one did not agree for a long time, called himself unworthy, but was “entreated by the requests of the princes, all the clergy and people, and moved by the command of the ruler.” Before receiving patriarchal approval (in 1492), Jonah ruled the Kyiv Metropolis with the title of “elect” (designated metropolitan). During the reign of Metropolitan Jonah, the Kiev metropolis was in relative peace and freedom from oppression. According to the testimony of Uniate writers, the Church owed this peace to the affection that Metropolitan Jonah enjoyed from King Casimir Jagiellon. Metropolitan Jonah died in October 1494.

In 1495, the Council of Bishops elected Archimandrite Macarius of the Vilna Trinity Monastery and decided urgently, by the conciliar forces of the local episcopate, to first consecrate Macarius as a bishop and metropolitan, and then to send a post factum embassy to the Patriarch for a blessing. “Then the bishops of Vladimir Vassian, Luka of Polotsk, Vassian of Turov, and Jonah of Lutsk gathered and appointed Archimandrite Macarius, nicknamed the Devil, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus'. And Elder Dionysius and German the deacon-monk were sent to the patriarch for a blessing.” Soon the embassy returned with an affirmative answer, but the patriarch's envoy reprimanded him for violating normal order. The reasons for the haste were explained to the ambassador, and he found them convincing. Metropolitan Macarius lived in Vilna, persuaded the Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander to become Orthodox, and in 1497 he went to Kyiv to begin restoring the destroyed St. Sophia Cathedral. On the way to Kyiv, when the Metropolitan was conducting the Divine Liturgy in a church on the banks of the Pripyat River, the Tatars attacked the church. The saint called on those present to save themselves, but he himself remained at the altar, where he accepted martyrdom. Contemporaries warmly mourned the death of Macarius. His body was brought to Kyiv and laid in the Church of Hagia Sophia. In the same years, Moscow troops, in alliance with the Kasimov and Kazan Tatars, captured Vyazemsky, part of the Verkhovsky lands of the Kiev Metropolis, and from 1497 Ivan III began to pretentiously be called the Grand Duke of Moscow and All Rus', although Rus' itself was located outside the Moscow Principality. In 1503, Ivan III captured the Toropetsky povet of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, transferring it to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Metropolitan. Ivan's son Vasily III captured Pskov in 1510. In 1514, Muscovite troops captured Smolensk and moved deeper into Lithuania, but on September 8, the 80,000-strong Muscovite army was defeated near Orsha by a 30,000-strong army under the command of Konstantin Ivanovich Ostrozhsky. In honor of the Orsha victory, a triumphal arch was built in Vilna, called by the people the Ostrog Gate (later called the Ostrog Gate), known as the seat of the Ostro Bram Icon of the Mother of God. With the money of Konstantin Ivanovich Ostrozhsky, the Prechistensky Cathedral, Trinity and St. Nicholas churches were rebuilt in Vilna.

After the conquest of Montenegro by the Turks (1499), the Kiev Metropolis for almost a century remained the only metropolis of the Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople free from non-Christian rulers. But from the end of the 15th century, the metropolitans of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' became gentry, family-owned, rich people who were more concerned not with the Christian education of their flock, but with the economic state of their possessions, which contradicted the 82nd rule of the Council of Carthage, which prohibited the bishop from “more appropriately exercising his own business and take care and diligence about your throne.” It was not Christian values ​​that played a decisive role in the election of candidates to the metropolitan see in Lithuania. Already in the 15th century, some representatives of the Lithuanian aristocracy, focusing on the Catholic kings, moved from the Orthodox Church to the Catholic Church, but this transition, due to the influence of the Hussite movement in the Czech Republic, was not widespread. Great support for the Orthodox Litvinians was provided by Polotsk resident Francis Skorina, who began printing Orthodox books in Prague in 1517, and in 1520 founded a printing house in Vilna. In the middle of the 16th century, many aristocrats were carried away by the ideology of Luther and Calvin and converted to Protestantism, but, after the success of the Counter-Reformation, they joined the Catholic Church. Ivan the Terrible took advantage of the split of the Lithuanian community into several religious groups, whose troops captured Polotsk during the Livonian War in 1563. The threat of the conquest of Lithuania by the troops of the eastern tyrant forced the Litvinians to seek religious and political harmony. It was announced that the rights of Orthodox, Protestants and Catholics were equal. The Poles took advantage of the situation and captured the Lithuanian lands of modern Ukraine and eastern Poland. In 1569, the Lithuanians were forced to sign the Lublin Act, which established a confederation of the Polish Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Rzeczpospolita).

According to contemporaries, in the middle of the 16th century there were twice as many Orthodox churches in Vilna as Catholic ones. The position of the Orthodox Christians worsened after the Union of Brest in 1596. After five bishops and Metropolitan Mikhail Rogoza converted to Uniateism, the struggle with the Uniates for churches and monasteries began. In 1620, Patriarch Theophan III of Jerusalem restored the hierarchy to part of the Lithuanian metropolitanate, consecrating a new Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus' with residence in Kyiv. In 1632, the Orsha, Mstislav and Mogilev bishoprics, located on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, were established as part of the Kyiv Metropolis. Since May 1686, when the Patriarch of Constantinople Dionysius IV agreed to the subordination of the Kyiv Metropolis to the Moscow Patriarchate, the church organization of the Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the territory of central Europe ceased to exist.

List of hierarchs of the Lithuanian Metropolis

The titles of the metropolitans of Rus' changed to “Metropolitan of Lithuania”, “Metropolitan of Lithuania and Little Rus'”, “Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus'”, “Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and All Rus'”.

• Theophilus - Metropolitan of Lithuania (before August 1317 - after April 1329);
• Theodoret – title unknown (1352-1354);
• Roman - Metropolitan of Lithuania (1355-1362);
• Cyprian - Metropolitan of Lithuania and Little Rus' (1375-1378);

• Cyprian (1378-1406);
• Gregory (1415-after 1420)
• Gerasim (1433-1435;
• Isidore (1436 - 1458)

• Gregory (Bulgarian) (1458-1473);
• Spyridon (1475-1481);
• Simeon (1481-1488);
• Jonah I (Glezna) (1492-1494);
• Macarius I (1495-1497);
• Joseph I (Bulgarinovich) (1497-1501);
• Jonah II (1503-1507);
• Joseph II (Soltan) (1507-1521);
• Joseph III (1522-1534);
• Macarius II (1534-1556);
• Sylvester (Belkevich) (1556-1567);
• Jonah III (Protasevich) (1568-1576);
• Elijah (Heap) (1577-1579);
• Onesiphorus (Girl) (1579-1589);
• Michael (Rogoza) (1589-1596); accepted the Brest Union.

From 1596 to 1620, the Orthodox of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth who did not accept the Union of Brest were left without a metropolitan.

• Job (Boretsky) (1620-1631);
• Peter (Tomb) (1632-1647);
• Sylvester (Kossov) (1648-1657);
• Dionysius (Balaban) (1658-1663);
• Joseph (Nelyubovich-Tukalsky) (1663-1675);
• Gideon (Chetvertinsky) (1685-1686).

see also

Notes

1. The metropolitans who ruled the dioceses of northeastern Europe, Theognostus, Alexius, Photius, and Jonah, who was not subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, were also called “Kievan and All Rus'”.
2. Golubovich V., Golubovich E. Crooked city - Vilna // KSIIMK, 1945, issue. XI. pp. 114-125; Lukhtan A., Ushinskas V. On the problem of the formation of the Lithuanian land in the light of archaeological data // Antiquities of Lithuania and Belarus. Vilnius, 1988. pp. 89–104; Kernave - litewska Troja. Katalog wystawy ze zbiorow Panstwowego Muzeum – Rezerwatu Archeologii i Historii w Kernawe, Lithuania. Warsaw, 2002.
3. Rule 82 of the Council of Carthage prohibits the bishop from “leaving the main place of his see and going to any church in his diocese, or more appropriately practicing his own business and taking care and diligence about his see.”
4. Darrouzes J. Notitae episcopatuum ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae. Paris, 1981; Miklosich F., Muller J. Acta et diplomata graeca medii aevi sacra et profana. Vindobonnae, 1860-1890. Vol. 1-6. ; Das Register des Patriarchat von Konstantinopel / Hrsg. v. H. Hunger, O. Kresten, E. Kislinger, C. Cupane. Wien, 1981-1995. T. 1-2.
5. Gelzer H. Ungedruckte und ungenugend veroffentlichte Texte der Notitiae Episcopatuum, ein Beitrag zur byzantinischen Kirchen - und Verwaltungsgeschichte. // Munchen, Akademie der Wissenschaften, Hist., l, Abhandlungen, XXI, 1900, Bd. III, ABTH

The statistics of Orthodox Lithuania are as follows: 50 parishes (2 monasteries), 43 priests and 10 deacons.

There are four deaneries on the territory of Lithuania, Vilna, Kaunas, Klaipeda and Visaginas.

In the Visaginas dean district there is 12 parishes.

The center of the deanery is the city Visaginas, which is only 10 km away. from the Latvian border (152 km from Vilnius) Until 1992, the city was called Snechkus. The city is inhabited by just over 21,000 people; over the past 10 years, the number of Visaginas residents has decreased by as much as 25%. It is the most Russian city in Lithuania with 56% Russian population and only 16% Lithuanian. 40% of the Orthodox population lives in the city and 28% Catholic. Interesting fact that Visaginas is the city with the highest percentage of Muslim population in Lithuania, 0.46%

Today there are two Orthodox churches in Visaginas. The first was built only in 1991 in honor of Nativity of John the Baptist

After Bishop Chrysostomos visited Visaginas in 1990, the first Orthodox community was registered in the village of nuclear workers Snečkus. To meet the needs of local believers, priests began to come here from Vilnius from time to time, perform services in the assembly hall of the local technical school and baptize people there. But there were believers who felt the need for constant spiritual communication and prayer. They gathered in private apartments, read the Psalter, Akathists, and sang.

And then, in one of the residential microdistricts of the village under construction, the administration of the nuclear power plant allocated premises for a prayer house to the Orthodox community.

The first service, held on July 7, 1991 in the already completed church premises, coincided with the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. People involuntarily thought about the special participation of the Holy Baptist of the Lord in the spiritual life of their village. And a year later, with the blessing of Bishop Chrysostom, the church officially received the name of the Prophet John.

On September 15, 2000, by determination of Metropolitan of Vilna and Lithuania Chrysostomos was appointed rector of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist Archpriest Georgy Salomatov. He began his pastoral ministry in this church.

In 1996, a second Orthodox church was built in Visaginas in honor of Introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The rector of this temple is Father Dean Joseph Zateishvili. This year the priest turned 70 years old and he lived in Visaginas for 24 years (the priest himself is from Tbilisi).
God works in mysterious ways. While in Tbilisi in the fall of 2014, I met his sister in the church, who gave me a book by Father Joseph and then I did not know at all that the author of the book is the dean of the Visagina district and serves in a few kilometers. from my place of residence. I found out about this on the Internet only today while looking through church websites, I learned from the photo of the book’s author "Martyrdoms of Shushanik, Evstati, Abo which I am just reading these days!!!.

The city is included in the Visaginas deanery Utena.

The name of the city Utena comes from the name of the Utenaite river. Utena is one of the oldest Lithuanian cities. In 1261 the first written mention of the city can be found. The first church was built here in 1416. In 1599, Utena received a trading privilege. In 1655 it survived the invasion of Russian troops, and in 1812 it suffered from Napoleon's troops. During the uprisings of 1831 and 1863, battles took place in the city surroundings. In 1879, three quarters of the city was destroyed by fire.

As a transport hub, the city developed primarily due to its favorable location. In the 19th century, the Kaunas-Daugavpils highway was built here.

In 1918, Lithuania became an independent state, and at the same time, Utena began to develop rapidly. In just a few years, about 30 kilometers of streets were laid, 400 houses and 3 mills were built, and 34 stores appeared on the market.

In the city of Utena you can explore local attractions. The oldest surviving building in Utena is the postal station, built in 1835 in the classicist style. Once upon a time, the Russian Tsar Nicholas I and his son Alexander, the famous French writer Honore de Balzac, and the Russian artist Ilya Repin visited or changed post horses here.

In Utena County there is the oldest Aukštaitija National Park in Lithuania, rich in forests, lakes and ethnographic villages. The rivers Utenele, Viesha, Krashuona, Rashe flow through the city, and the lakes Vizhuonaitis and Dauniskis emanate tranquility. There are 186 lakes in the Utena region. The Klovinsky reservoir attracts numerous vacationers.

Beautiful nature, fresh air and local attractions are a great opportunity to unwind and enjoy a wonderful holiday in the small picturesque town of Utena.

This town also has an Orthodox church in honor of the Ascension of Christ. The Orthodox community in the city of Utena was registered in November 1989 and began petitioning government authorities for the return of the church house. Archpriest Joseph Zateishvili performed the first service in the prayer building in March 1995. The entire building was handed over to the community in 1997, which was renovated with the help of sponsors. The parish has 30 permanent parishioners.

Priest of the temple Sergiy Kulakovsky .

Priest Sergius is also the rector of the temple in the city Zarasai.

Russian Tsar Nicholas I visited here in 1836. He was fascinated by the local nature and the elegance of the city's architecture. And for this reason, the tsar ordered the name of the city of Yezerosy to be changed to Novo-Alexandrovsk in honor of the birth of his son Alexander (there is also another opinion - in honor of his wife Alexandra Feodorovna).

In 1919-1929, the city had the official name Ezherenai, from the Lithuanian - “ezeras”, which means “lake”. But in 1930, after lengthy disputes, a new name was approved - Zarasai. But, despite this, in Lithuanian literature of the 1930s one could find the old name along with the new official name.

The city of Zarasai is interesting for its unique layout, reminiscent of the rising sun. Five ray streets converge in the very heart of the city - on Selu Square, which is one of the Zarasai attractions. This square was known as the city center at the beginning of the 17th century. It acquired its current appearance in the 19th century. It was designed by Russian architects at a time when Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire.

The Diocesan Council asked for the return of the temple and its property. Since 1933, priest Grigory Vysotsky performed divine services at his home. In May 1939, a small new church, occupying part of the priest’s house, was consecrated in the name of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky (the parish received compensation for the old church). According to the Diocesan Council, in 1937 there were 264 permanent parishioners.

In 1946 there were 90 parishioners. The Alexander Nevsky parish was officially registered by the Soviet authorities in 1947. In the Church of St. Augustine was equipped by the authorities with a gym, and in 1957 the church building was demolished.

Currently, the rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church is priest Sergius Kulakovsky.

The city is located on both banks of the Nevezis River (a tributary of the Neman), 135 km northwest of Vilnius, 109 km from Kaunas and 240 km from Klaipeda. Total area approx. 50 km².

The most important highways in Lithuania and the international highway “Via Baltica”, connecting Vilnius with Riga, intersect in the city. Railway lines connect to Daugavpils and Siauliai. There are two local airfields.

A small wooden church in honor of the Resurrection of the Lord in the city of Panevezys was erected in 1892.

According to the Diocesan Council, in 1937 there were 621 permanent parishioners in the Church of the Resurrection.

In 1925-1944 the rector and dean was Fr. Gerasim Shorets, through whose efforts the Panevezys parish became an important center of church and public life. From March to November, the Surdeg Icon of the Mother of God was placed in the Church of the Resurrection. At the temple there was a charitable society that maintained an orphanage. Apologetic leaflets, etc. were issued.

In 1945 there were about 400 parishioners. During Soviet times, Resurrection Parish was officially registered in 1947.

Until 1941, the Surdega miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which is now located in the Kaunas Cathedral, was kept in this temple.

Currently, the rector of the temple is a priest Alexy Smirnov.

The name of the city of Anyksciai is associated with Lake Rubikiai, which occupies an area of ​​1000 hectares and includes 16 islands. The Anyksta River originates from this lake. Legend has it that people looking from the mountain and admiring the beauty of Lake Rubikiai compared it to a palm, and the Anykšta River to a thumb (kaipnykštys). According to another legend, it is known that a long time ago one girl was doing laundry by the lake and, having pricked her finger strongly with a roller, began to shout: “Ai, nykštį! Ai, nykštį!”, which means: “Ay, thumb! Ay, thumb!” And the writer Antanas Venuolis told the story of Ona Nikshten, who drowned in the river after learning about the death of her beloved husband. That is why the river flowing from the lake eventually became known as Anykšta, and the town that grew up nearby became Anykščiai.

Some writers and scientists tried to find the first capital of Lithuania - Voruta - near Anyksciai. It is here, not far from the village of Šeimyniškėliai, that a mound rises, which, perhaps, is the capital of Mindaugas. Here he was crowned, and this place is believed to be the location of the disappeared Voruta Castle. According to archaeologists, the settlement, its excavations and structure date back to the 10th-14th centuries. According to legend, under the castle there were huge cellars with treasures, and a nearby rocky place was the cursed enemies of the Voruta castle defenders, frozen forever in the rocks. The mound is now being explored by Lithuanian scientists. In 2000, a bridge was built across Varyalis, and in 2004 an observation tower appeared near the mound.

The first wooden church in Anyksciai was built in 1867. In 1873, not far from it, a new stone church was erected in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky, which was built with donations and equipped with government funds.

During the First World War, the temple was looted. In 1922, the district government asked the Department of Worship to transfer the buildings belonging to the parish to the school. But this request was not completely satisfied. Only 56 hectares of land were taken away and the church house, in which a school class is equipped, the teachers settled.

According to the Diocesan Council, in 1937 there were 386 people in the parish. In 1946 - about 450 people.

The parish was officially registered by the Soviet authorities in 1947.

Currently, the rector of the temple is priest Alexy Smirnov.

In 1812, with the approach of Napoleon, Emperor Alexander and the military leaders accompanying him left Vilna and stopped in Sventsyany. At the end of the same year, when retreating from Russia, Napoleon and his army stopped in Sventsyany. The city is mentioned in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace.

Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity was built in the town at the end of the nineteenth century. This was once a very beautiful temple. Blue-white walls, many domes, Orthodox crosses. Unfortunately, today the Holy Trinity Church in Švencionis looks very modest, the plaster has fallen off the outer walls in some places, the courtyard is clean, but without any special decorations. It is clear from everything that there are either significantly fewer Orthodox Christians in the city than Catholics, or they are the poorest part of the population.

The rector of the temple Archpriest Dmitry Shlyakhtenoko.

There are also five rural churches in the Visaginas deanery. 4 of them are served by Father Alexei Smirnov from Panevezys.

Place Raguva. Temple in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

A small stone temple in the town of Raguva was erected in 1875 using government funds.

In 1914 there were 243 permanent parishioners. After the First World War, the church property in Velgis was confiscated, the land was given to a school, a dairy factory and the local administration, and teachers settled in the church house. The temple was assigned to Panevezys.

According to the Diocesan Council, in 1927 there were 85 Orthodox Christians in the surrounding area.

The temple was officially registered by the Soviet authorities in 1959. Then the number of parishioners was only 25-35 people. The priest came from Panevezys once a month. In 1963, local authorities proposed closing the parish. The temple was not closed, but services were held irregularly, sometimes once every few years.

The temple in the name of St. Nicholas in the town of Gegobrosty was built in 1889 for Russian colonists, who were given about 563 hectares of land back in 1861 (the settlement was named Nikolskoye).

According to the Diocesan Council, in 1937 there were 885 permanent parishioners, the parish had a rector. In 1945 there were about 200 parishioners. The parish was officially registered by the Soviet authorities in 1947. In 1945-1958, the rector was Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov later the future elder became famous on the island of Zalius, later the priest came from Rokiskis and Panevezys.

Orthodox church. Built on behalf of the Vilna ruler Archbishop Nikander (Molchanov). Construction work began in 1909. At the request of local residents, the church was consecrated in the name of the Hieromartyr Nikander, Bishop of Mir. Consecrated on October 18, 1909 by Vilkomir (Ukmergsky) dean archpriest Pavel Levikov, in the large presence of peasants from the surrounding villages and in the presence of members of the Panevezys department of the Union of the Russian People.

The wooden temple in the town of Lebenishki was erected in 1909 at the expense of the merchant Ivan Markov, who donated 5,000 rubles for the construction. At that time, about 50 Russian families lived in Lebenishki, who allocated about two acres of land for the temple. The tsarist government provided timber.

In 1924, 150 Orthodox Christians were cared for by a priest from Hegobrasta. In 1945 there were about 180 permanent parishioners.

The parish was officially registered by the Soviet authorities in 1947. The rector until his death in 1954 was priest Nikolai Krukovsky. After which the priest came from Rokiskis once a month.

Place Turkish. Church of the Intercession.

The stone church in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God in the town of Inturki was built in 1868 with funds from the tsarist government (10,000 rubles), allocated by it after the suppression of the Polish uprising in 1863.

According to the Diocesan Council in 1937 there were 613 permanent parishioners. Confessor Father Peter Sokolov, who served time in NKVD camps from 1949 to 1956, served in the Church of the Intercession in 1934-1949.

In 1946 there were 285 parishioners. The temple was registered by the Soviet authorities in 1947.

A swampier place.

A spacious stone church in the town of Uzpalyai was erected for Russian colonists resettled to the places where participants in the 1863 uprising were exiled. Governor General M. N. Muravyov allocated funds for the construction of the temple from the indemnity fund of the exiled.

During the First World War, services were interrupted, but the church building was not damaged. In 1920, services in St. Nicholas Church resumed. At first, the Uzpaliai community was assigned to the Utena parish. Since 1934 he served as a permanent rector.

According to the Diocesan Council in 1937 there were 475 permanent parishioners. In 1944, due to hostilities, the building was damaged.

In 1945 there were about 200 parishioners. During Soviet times, the temple was officially registered in 1947. But already in the summer of 1948, by decision of the Utena Executive Committee, the parish was closed, grain was stored in the church building. But due to protests from believers and the commissioner, the Council of Ministers did not authorize this closure. In December, St. Nicholas Church was returned to believers.

Newly appointed pastor to a Lithuanian rural parish Hieromonk David (Grushev) originally from the Ryazan province, he led the struggle of the church community for the temple.
December 22, 1948 St. Nicholas Church was returned to the community, and the parishioners, under the leadership of Hieromonk David, put the temple in order - after using the church as a granary, glaring traces remained: all the glass in the frames was broken, the choir rooms were scattered, grain stored on the floor was mixed with glass. According to the recollections of one of the parishioners, then a teenage girl, she, along with other children, had to clean the floor from multi-layers of mold and scrape it until there were abrasions on her fingers.
It was a difficult time in Lithuania at that time: gunfire broke out in the forests every now and then, and the priest, at the request of their relatives, had to hold funeral services for the murdered Orthodox Christians every day.
The “Forest Brothers” took food from people, and Soviet agitators enrolled farmers in collective farms. When the villagers asked Father David whether they should give up their usual farm life in favor of a collective farm, he told people in good conscience that he knew about collectivization in his homeland in the Ryazan region.

In 1949, Hieromonk David was arrested and in 1950 he died in an NKVD camp.

From the testimony of "witnesses":
“When I convinced Father David to encourage farmers to join the collective farm, he objected: “Do you want people in Lithuania to starve and walk around with bags, like collective farmers in Russia, who are swollen from hunger?”
“On the morning of April 15, 1949, I approached priest Grushin at the church and asked him not to perform religious ceremonies [funeral services] for junior police lieutenant Peter Orlov, who was killed by bandits. The priest flatly refused to obey, referring to the request of the father of the murdered Orlov to bury him in a church manner.
I began to explain to him that we would bury the dead police officers with military honors. To this Grushin replied: “Do you want to bury him without a funeral service, like a dog?”....

The churches of Lithuania are interesting because most of them were not closed during Soviet times, although not all of them have preserved their appearance from ancient times. Some churches were in the possession of the Uniates, some were in a dilapidated state, but were later revived. There are also several churches in Lithuania that were built in the 1930s, when our churches were being destroyed. There are also new temples built today.

Let's start the story with the cathedral Monastery of the Holy Spirit, which was never closed or refurbished.

The temple was founded in 1597 for Vilnius Brotherhood sisters Theodora and Anna Volovich. At this time, after the conclusion of the Union of Brest, all Orthodox churches in Lithuania came under the jurisdiction of the Uniates. And then the Vilnius Orthodox Brotherhood, which united people of different classes, decided to build a new temple. However, the construction of Orthodox churches was prohibited. The Volovich sisters were able to build the temple because they belonged to an influential family; construction was carried out on private land.

The gate of the monastery in the urban area.

For a long time, the Holy Spirit Church was the only Orthodox church in Vilnius. There was a monastic community at the temple, and there was a printing house. In 1686, the church in Lithuania came under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, and donations were received from the Moscow sovereigns. In 1749-51. the temple was built in stone.

In 1944, the temple was damaged by bombing and was repaired through the efforts of Patriarch Alexy I of Moscow. But already in 1948, the party leadership of Lithuania raised the issue of closing the monastery; in 1951, Hieromonk Eustathius, the future archimandrite of the Holy Spirit Monastery, was arrested. Released in 1955, Father Eustathius was engaged in the improvement of the monastery.

The shrine of the Holy Spiritual Cathedral is the relics of the Vilna martyrs Anthony, John and Eustathius, executed under Prince Olgerd.

Temple St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Vilnius, Dijoy street.

The wooden church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was one of the first to emerge in Vilnius, at the beginning of the 14th century; in 1350, a stone church was built by Princess Ulyana Alexandrovna of Tverskaya. in the 15th century the temple became very dilapidated and in 1514 it was rebuilt by Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky, hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1609, the church was captured by the Uniates, then gradually fell into disrepair. in 1839 it was returned to the Orthodox Church. In 1865-66. reconstruction was carried out, and since then the temple has been in operation.

Prechistensky Cathedral. Vilnius.

The temple was built at the expense of the second wife of Prince Olgerd of Lithuania, Princess Ulyana Alexandrovna Tverskaya. Since 1415 it was the cathedral church of the Lithuanian metropolitans. The temple was a princely tomb; Grand Duke Olgerd, his wife Ulyana, Queen Elena Ioannovna, daughter of Ivan III, were buried under the floor.

In 1596, the cathedral was taken over by the Uniates, there was a fire, the building fell into disrepair, and in the 19th century it was used for government needs. Restored under Alexander the Second on the initiative of Metropolitan Joseph (Semashko).

The temple was damaged during the war, but was not closed. In the 1980s, repairs were carried out and the surviving ancient part of the wall was installed.

Fragments of old masonry, the Gedemin Tower was built from the same stone.

Temple in the name Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa on Dijoi Street. Vilnius.
The first stone church in the Lithuanian land, erected by the first wife of Prince Olgerd, Princess Maria Yaroslavna of Vitebsk. All 12 sons of Grand Duke Olgerd (from two marriages) were baptized in this temple, including Jagiello (Jacob), who became the king of Poland and donated the Pyatnitsky temple.

In 1557 and 1610 the temple burned, the last time it was not restored, since a year later in 1611 it was captured by the Uniates, and a tavern soon appeared on the site of the burnt temple. In 1655, Vilnius was occupied by the troops of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and the church was returned to the Orthodox. The restoration of the temple began in 1698 at the expense of Peter I; there is a version that during the Russian-Swedish war, Tsar Peter baptized Ibrahim Hannibal here. In 1748 the temple burned again, in 1795 it was again captured by the Uniates, in 1839 it was returned to the Orthodox, but in a ruined state. in 1842 the temple was restored.
Memorial plaque

in 1962, the Pyatnitskaya Church was closed, used as a museum, in 1990 it was returned to believers according to the law of the Republic of Lithuania, in 1991 the rite of consecration was performed by Metropolitan Chrysostom of Vilna and Lithuania. Since 2005, the Pyatnitskaya Church has celebrated the liturgy in Lithuanian.

Temple in honor Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary "The Sign", located at the end of Gedeminas Avenue. Vilnius.
Built in 1899-1903, it was closed during World War I, then services resumed and were not interrupted.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Trakai
In 1384, the Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was founded in Trakai, the residence of the Lithuanian princes. The builder was Princess Ulyana Alexandrovna Tverskaya. Vytautas was baptized in this monastery. In 1596, the monastery was transferred to the Uniates, and in 1655 it burned down during the Russian-Polish War and the assault on Trakai.

In 1862-63. The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built in Trakai, and the funds were donated by the Russian Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who continued the ancient tradition of Lithuanian princesses building churches.

In 1915, the temple was damaged by shells and became unsuitable for worship. Major repairs took place only in 1938. Worship services have not stopped since then, but the temple was abandoned in the 1970s and 80s. Since 1988, the new rector, Father Alexander, began to actively preach in the city and surrounding villages, where Orthodox Christians traditionally lived. In the Republic of Lithuania, it is allowed to conduct religion lessons in schools.

Kaunas. The center of Orthodox life are two churches on the territory of the former Resurrection Cemetery.
Left Temple - Church of the Resurrection of Christ, was built in 1862. In 1915 the temple was closed during the war, but in 1918 worship resumed. In 1923-35. The temple became the cathedral of the Lithuanian diocese.
in 1924, a gymnasium was organized at the temple, the only school in Lithuania at that time with instruction in Russian. A charity circle was also organized, helping orphans and then the elderly. in 1940, the Mariinsky Charitable Society was liquidated, like all public organizations of bourgeois Lithuania, during the organization of the Lithuanian SSR.

In 1956, the Orthodox cemetery was liquidated, the graves of Russian people were razed to the ground, and now there is a park there. In 1962, the Church of the Resurrection was closed; it housed an archive. In the 1990s, the temple was returned to believers, and now services are performed there.

Right Temple - Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Holy Virgin. Built in 1932-35. on the initiative of Metropolitan Eleutherius, architects - Frick and Toporkov. This is an example of church architecture of the 1930s, practically absent in Russia. The temple was built with ancient Russian motifs, a continuation of the idea of ​​architecture of Russian churches of the early twentieth century.

In 1937-38 At the church, conversations were held for the laity, since during these years a Catholic mission appeared in Kaunas and the Uniate bishop held weekly sermons in former Orthodox churches. However, the population preferred to attend the sermons of Archpriest Mikhail (Pavlovich) in the Annunciation Cathedral, and the Uniate mission was soon closed.

The Annunciation Cathedral was the center of Russian emigration, its parishioners were philosopher Lev Karsavin, architect Vladimir Dubensky, former Russian Finance Minister Nikolai Pokrovsky, professor and mechanic Platon Yankovsky, artist Mstislav Dobuzhinsky. In 1940-41. Many Russian emigrants left Lithuania for Europe, and the parish was empty.

During the war, services in the cathedral continued, but in 1944, Metropolitan Sergius of Vilna and Lithuania died, and Archbishop Daniel became the administrator of the diocese. after the war, persecution of parishioners began, the regent of the cathedral, S.A. Kornilov, was arrested (returned from prison in 1956). In the 1960s The Annunciation Cathedral was the only Orthodox church in Kaunas. Since 1969, priests had the right to perform divine services at home only with the written permission of the deputy chairman. district executive committee, for violation they could be removed from office by civil authorities.

In 1991, after the events at the Vilnius television center, the rector of the Annunciation Cathedral, Hieromonk Hilarion (Alfeev), issued an appeal calling on the Soviet army not to shoot at citizens. Soon the rector was transferred to another diocese, and now Metropolitan Hilarion is the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate

Since the fall of 1991, the parish has been headed by Archpriest Anatoly (Stalbovsky), pilgrimage trips, classes in schools are held, boarding houses are looked after, the cathedral has been restored.


Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, Kaunas.

This temple was Orthodox, but during the period of Lithuanian independence in 1918 it was transferred to Catholics.

in 1922-29 p According to the Law on Land Reform, 36 churches and 3 monasteries were confiscated from the Orthodox Church, some previously belonged to Catholics or Uniates (who, in turn, previously used Orthodox churches), and some recently built with private and public funds

On the walls, for example, on the right, hang modern religious paintings in the style of abstraction

The most unusual temple in Lithuania - Church of All Saints who shone in the Russian land, Klaipeda

in 1944-45 During the liberation of Memel, an Orthodox house of prayer was damaged. In 1947, the building of the former Lutheran church was transferred to the community of believers, which was used by the Soviet authorities as a hall for ritual services at the cemetery. However, after the first service, a denunciation was written against Father Theodore Raketsky (at the sermon he said that life is hard, and prayer is the consolation). In 1949, Fr. Theodore was arrested and released only in 1956.

Nearby there is a park, on the site of which until recently there was a cemetery. The municipal authorities decided to carry out reconstruction, and relatives still come here for the funeral.

For some time, along with the Orthodox, Lutherans, whose community also gradually gathered after the war, also served in the church on schedule. The Orthodox dreamed of building a new church in the Russian style. In the 1950s, a cathedral was erected in Klaipeda through the efforts of the Catholic Lithuanian community, but the priests were accused of embezzlement and imprisoned, and the authorities transferred the church to the Philharmonic. Therefore, the construction of a new church for the Orthodox in Klaipeda has become possible only in our days.

Palanga. Church in honor of the Iverskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Built in 2000-2002. Architect - Dmitry Borunov from Penza. The benefactor is Lithuanian businessman A.P. Popov, the land was allocated by the city mayor’s office free of charge at the request of pensioner A.Ya. Leleikene, construction was carried out by Parama. The rector is Hegumen Alexy (Babich), the headman is V. Afanasyev.

The temple is located in the north-eastern part of Palanga, it can be seen on the road to Kretinga.

Usually, when we talk about Orthodox patriotism, we mean exclusively Russian patriotism. Lithuania, along with Poland, is today one of the main strongholds of Roman Catholicism in the world. The vast majority of the population here calls themselves Catholics. But Orthodox Christians live here too. Is it easy to be an Orthodox patriot in a country of victorious Catholicism?

Not our homeland

There are no more than 150 thousand Orthodox Christians in Lithuania, that is, about 5% of the total population.

“Despite our small numbers, the attitude towards us from the Catholic majority and the Lithuanian state is friendly,” says Father Vitaly Mockus, priest of the Lithuanian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Lithuanian by nationality and rector of the only Lithuanian-speaking Orthodox parish in the country.

The Lithuanian state does not interfere in the life of the Orthodox Church, returning to it property taken away by the Soviet government, and the Church, in return, does not interfere in politics, distancing itself from both Russian and Lithuanian political parties. This “neutral” position was chosen by Metropolitan Chrysostom (Martishkin), who since the early nineties has been the head of the Lithuanian diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, or the “Orthodox Church in Lithuania” - as the diocese is officially registered with the republican authorities.

Parishioners, at the same time, are not at all obliged to maintain neutrality as strictly as the central church authority.

“We are all great patriots in our community, but we are Orthodox patriots,” Father Vitaly says about his parish, referring, of course, to Lithuanian patriotism. “You just need to distinguish between the political and the Orthodox components in patriotism,” he is convinced. - Here is the Russian Emperor Nicholas II in relation to Lithuania - the head of an occupation state that oppressed Lithuanian culture. But this is politics. But Nicholas II as a passion-bearer is already Orthodoxy, and we can pray to him and kiss his icon, which does not mean that we will stop negatively assessing his political activities from the point of view of Lithuanian history.

It is not surprising that for a Lithuanian patriot a Russian patriot often turns out to be an “occupier”: our countries have fought a lot with each other. In the 17th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a union state of Lithuanians and Poles, almost captured Muscovy, and at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Russia absorbed both Lithuania and Poland. Russians had similar problems with Russians in the 12th century: the noble prince Andrei Bogolyubsky stormed Novgorod and would have conquered and plundered the city if the capital of northern Rus' had not been saved from his squad by the Most Holy Theotokos herself, as the “Tale of the Battle of the Novgorodians with Suzdal residents." The vectors of state patriotism are rarely co-directed.

For the centuries-old history of Lithuania, we know very few names of Orthodox Lithuanians, but among them are four saints: the Vilna martyrs, who suffered for their faith in the XIV century under Prince Algirdas (Olgerd), and the ruler of the Nalshchansky inheritance, Daumontas (Dovmont), who later became the Pskov prince, glorified by the Russian Church as a believer. Orthodoxy for Lithuania is considered a traditional confession (along with Catholicism and Judaism) - it appeared on Lithuanian soil in the 14th century, when the Orthodox lands of Western Rus' became part of medieval Lithuania. In the multinational Slavic-Lithuanian Grand Duchy, before the Union of Lublin with Poland, the majority of the population professed Orthodoxy. But the “titular” nation today perceives Orthodoxy as a confession of the Russian-Belarusian “minority”. — — There is a stereotype in Lithuania that Lithuanians are Catholics because they pray in Lithuanian, and Russians are Orthodox because they pray in Russian. I once thought so myself. The Pyatnitskaya community is called upon to break this “national” stereotype,” Father Vitaliy Mockus admits.

Lost in translation

The idea of ​​serving in the national language arose in the early 2000s, when a certain parishioner, after a festive service at the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery, handed Father Vitaly an envelope: “You might be interested.” The envelope contained a copy of the Lithuanian translation of the Liturgy of St. published in 1887 with the blessing of the Synod. John Chrysostom. This was the first experience of translating worship into Lithuanian in the thousand-year history of the existence of Orthodoxy in Lithuania. Bishop Chrysostom liked the project of the Lithuanian service proposed by Father Vitaly, but the liturgy of the synodal period had to be translated anew - the pre-revolutionary version of the text turned out to be unsuitable from the point of view of language and terminology. Church vocabulary, traditionally Catholic in the Lithuanian language, does not always reflect the realities specific to the Eastern Church, including liturgical ones. (For example, from Lithuanian altorus - can be adequately translated into Russian as “throne”, and what is usually called an altar in Russian sounds presbiterium in Lithuanian - which reflects stable names in the Catholic tradition.) By 2005, Father Vitaly, checking Based on the Greek text, English and some other translations, he re-translated the Liturgy of John Chrysostom, the third and sixth hours. Later, the Easter Vigil, the Trinity service, appeared. In addition, the sequences of baptism, memorial service, and prayer service are from the Trebnik. Small home prayer book with evening and morning prayers, rules for communion and prayers of thanks. There is no Menaion yet, but a translation of the Sunday Vigil and the Octoechos is being prepared. When preparing for the service, the priest each time translates the troparions of the saints that fall on Sunday (they serve in the Pyatnitsky Church only on Sundays for now).

Some of the “Pyatnitsky” parishioners are children from mixed Lithuanian-Russian marriages; they used to go to ordinary Russian-speaking parishes, but did not understand the divine services, because, like the majority of Lithuanian youth, they no longer speak Russian well, much less Church Slavonic. However, not only young people have language problems: one elderly Russian woman, who lost her parents in early childhood and was raised in a Lithuanian orphanage, practically forgot the Russian language that her parents taught her, but continued to consider herself an Orthodox Christian. All her life she went to a Catholic church, but did not receive communion there, wanting to die in the bosom of the Orthodox Church. The emergence of a Lithuanian-speaking community was a real miracle for her.

“Despite the fact that she lives a hundred kilometers from Vilnius, which by our standards is almost a third of the country,” explains Father Vitaly, “this parishioner comes to Pyatnitsky Church at least once a month and takes communion with tears in her eyes.”

But there are also those who don’t even know how to say hello in Russian. Orthodoxy brought them to the Church on its own, without connection with family traditions or origin.

“For the first time in the centuries-old history of Lithuania, the Lithuanian service will allow Lithuanians to partake of the Orthodox tradition, fully preserving their national identity, which is impossible without language,” says Father Vitaly.

Orthodoxy with a Lithuanian accent

The Pyatnitsa community of Father Vitaly Mockus is noticeably younger than most Russian-speaking parishes in Vilnius. Most of the parishioners are students and office workers between the ages of 30 and 40.

“And these are all serious people,” emphasizes the rector, priest Vitaly Motskus, “they take the divine service very seriously: they do not walk or talk during the service.” The influence of Catholic experience is felt. It is not even customary to cough at Mass; in Lithuania, Catholics leave the church to do this. And our Lithuanian-speaking parishioners were born and raised in the Lithuanian cultural environment, so they bring something of their own, Lithuanian in mentality, into church life.

From the famous Holy Spiritual Monastery, the stronghold of Russian Orthodoxy in Lithuania, to the Pyatnitsky Church is about 15 minutes on foot along the ancient Vilnius streets. Father Vitaly leads us past the red-tiled quarters of the old city to the temple. On the street it is difficult to distinguish him from passers-by: Orthodox priests in Lithuania do not wear cassocks in everyday life, like Catholic priests, more often they wear sweater-pants, a jacket or a jacket if it is cold. The temple itself is both Russian and Byzantine in shape, with a flat Greek dome. Only the central nave is fenced off by a low iconostasis: the sacristy and the altar to the right and left of the altar, although raised onto the solea and communicating with the altar by arches, are not closed from the temple. All for space saving reasons. The interior space, minus the vestibule and the altar, is tiny.

“Even on the patronal feast day, no more than 50 people gather here, and there are about thirty permanent parishioners.” For Lithuania, this is the typical size of a provincial city parish, so there is enough space for everyone,” says Father Vitaly.

Perhaps someday a national Lithuanian Orthodox tradition will emerge (the germ of it can be discerned in the features of the Pyatnitskaya community) - just as the American or English one once formed at the crossroads of Russian and Western church cultures. But it’s too early to talk about it: “That’s in five hundred years,” Father Vitaly laughs.

Typical Orthodox Lithuanians are those who entered the church to watch an unusual “Eastern” service and stayed forever.

“There has long been an opinion among Catholics in Lithuania that the Orthodox pray well,” explains Fr. Vitaly. — Many Catholics come to pray at the Orthodox church after mass and communion; this is a common practice here. Catholic priests do not forbid them to do this, and sometimes they come in themselves. The Vilna Catholic Seminary, for example, when its students study the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, comes in full force to the service. Some parishioners and Catholic monks even secretly receive communion during the Orthodox liturgy, especially since after the Second Vatican Council they are allowed to receive communion from the Orthodox in extreme cases. So we have peace with Catholics. And among them there are those who come not just to the Orthodox, but specifically to the Pyatnitsky church, because they heard about the “Lithuanian Orthodox liturgy” and decided to see what it is. These people want to become Orthodox, but for this they do not have to become Russian. For Lithuania, Orthodoxy is not a foreign faith, and the Orthodox have always been here. We decorate our country, which we love, with our faith, its history and culture,” Father Vitaly is convinced.