In front of St. It is planned to rebuild the chapel pillar of the Lord Jesus, historically called the chapel, in John Paul II Square, which is located in the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Having stood the test of time, it was demolished during the Soviet era, around 1953, during the construction of the Antakalnis transport ring and the construction of trolleybus lines.
"During the Soviet period, a considerable amount of the Christian cultural heritage of Vilnius was destroyed, and it is an inseparable part of Vilnius. Crosses, chapel pillars and chapels, as a sign of a sacred place, were built in Catholic Europe from the early Middle Ages. They were also in Vilnius. Unfortunately, not much survived, many were demolished during street reconstruction. Therefore, the reconstruction of this chapel is important for the believers, the community, and at the same time for the whole city", says Kamilė Šeraitė-Gogelienė, chairman of the Historical Memory Commission of the city of Vilnius.
Chapel of the Lord Jesus in front of St. Peter and Paul Church was built to commemorate the site of the earliest wooden churches and cemeteries. The earliest source indicating the location of the chapel dates back to the 1737th century. beginning (until XNUMX).
From the surviving sources it is known what the baroque style chapel looked like, immortalized in old photos, postcards, drawings.
It was a brick, plastered, two-level composition of baroque forms, harmoniously integrated into the environment of that time. Next to the chapel grew a huge old linden tree, also called Goštaut's linden tree - according to the stories, it was planted by the legendary personality - LDK noble Peter Goštaut (first half of the 14th century).
Before demolishing the chapel, draft measurements were drawn up. The reconstruction project was prepared under their guidance. The chapel will be 8,5 m high, made of ceramic bricks, plastered. The plinth is made of buchard granite, the roof is covered with tiles. An oak cross with a sculpture of the crucified Jesus is planned to be placed on the first floor of the chapel, and a sculpture of the Mother of God on the second floor.
It is not possible to rebuild the chapel in its original place, currently its foundations are under the roundabout of Antakalnis and Olandų Streets.
The place of reconstruction was chosen in St. In John Paul II Square, about 18 meters away from the authentic one, maximally maintaining the former visual axis from the current T. Kosciuška Street.
Reconstruction works have already started, and their completion is expected in the second half of this year.
The reconstruction of the baroque chapel near Antakalnis Street will be financed by the Janukonis Charity and Support Foundation
