Orthodox Church of St. Paraskeva
June 1, 2019
Vilnius has LOTS of churches. Church steeples can be seen, in one direction or another, on every street you walk down. Visitors are welcome in all churches and free of charge to see inside. During the time of 1940 – 1991 when the Baltic States were under Soviet Occupation, private churches were ordered to be shut down. Most were then used for other Soviet purposes. After 1991, when the Baltic States regained their independence, the churches were returned to the appropriate religion and most were restored and reopened. Here are a few of the churches I visited……..
Vilnius Cathedral, the main basilica in the city, was built in the 18th century. It is well known for it’s St. Casimir Chapel and crypt that contains the remains of 2 Grand Dukes.
The domed ceiling of St. Casimir’s Chapel is intricately beautiful.
Vilnius Cathedral and Belfry.
St Johns Church, located on the Vilnius University campus, was originally built in 1426, reconstructed in 1749 and more structures were added on in the 19th century.
Gates of Dawn, the last standing of 5 – 16th century gate to Old Town……
houses the “Chapel of Mary, Mother of Mercy” and a painting of the Madonna. It is a site of prayer and pilgrimage and thought to bring about miracles.
The Gothic Church of St. Anne was built with red brick in 1500.
The Bernadine Church is located directly behind St. Anne’s.
Church of St. Anne’s alter.
Bernadine’s Church was built in 1525, and in 1770’s wooden alters and confessionals were added to the interior, some of which still remain.
St Casimir’s Church has an especially beautiful interior.
The domed ceiling over the alter.
St. Casimir’s alter
Bird of the day – a white stork. This is from the day I arrived in Vilnius from Riga via a bus. Along the way I kept noticing a stork or two pecking around in the farmer’s fields. I stopped counting after I saw 20 of them, but of all the photos I took (from a moving bus) this was the best photo of the bunch.
Storks winter in Africa and then migrate to parts of Europe, including the Baltic States for breeding. They build a large stick nest , sometimes as large as 6 feet in diameter, which can last for years. They return to the same nest year after year, although do not necessarily mate for life.
Storks are a sign of good luck and fertility , therefore farmers welcome them to their property and sometimes mount a wooden wagon wheel on a post to aid in the stork’s nest building.
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