Yasnogorsk monastery. Description of the Yasna Gora Monastery. Chapel of the Virgin Mary

By bus across half of Europe

Częstochowa

And again we are in Poland. The bus is ahead of schedule, and we have time to look at another interesting place. The city of Czestochowa is the spiritual capital of Poland, the center of the cult of the Virgin Mary. The first mentions of Częstochowa in chronicles date back to the thirteenth century, but it began to turn into a center of the Catholic faith from the end of the 14th century, when the Polish prince Władysław of Opolski invited monks of the Pauline order from Hungary, who founded the Jasna Góra monastery on a hill near Czestochowa. The same prince brought here the famous icon of the Mother of God - the main relic of the monastery.

Czestochowa has had a turbulent history. For more than eight centuries, the city was besieged more than once, came into the possession of Prussia, and then returned to Poland again. In addition to the Yasnogorsk Monastery, other historical buildings and places have been preserved in it, for example, the Church of St. Sigmund, the Cathedral of the Holy Family, and the old Jewish cemetery.

Today, Czestochowa continues to play an important role in the spiritual and cultural life of Poland. The International Festival of Sacred Music Gaude Mater, the traditional jazz festival Hot Jazz Spring, the Days of Culture of the Peoples of Europe, the International Folklore Festival “From Far and Near”, the National Poetry Competition are held here. Galina Posvyatovskaya.

The Jasnogorsk Monastery is primarily known as the site of the main Polish Catholic shrine - the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God. The icon and the monastery itself earned special veneration in 1655, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, which the Poles themselves traditionally call the “Flood.” The Swedes quickly advanced, capturing the largest cities in the country in a short time. The king had to flee abroad. Soon an army of three thousand approached the monastery. The invaders waged a siege for more than a month. But, although the defenders of the monastery were at least 15 times inferior to the Swedes in numbers (there were less than two hundred soldiers in the garrison), the besiegers were unable to break through its walls, and they retreated. This became a turning point in the war. A national upsurge began throughout the country, the creation of a militia. The Poles went on the offensive and expelled the Swedes. Many explained this as a miracle performed by the Virgin Mary. After the war, streams of pilgrims flowed to the Jasna Gora monastery from all over the country, and King John Casimir declared Our Lady of Czestochowa the patroness of Poland.

106-meter monastery bell tower. Every 15 minutes the bells play a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary. On the spire itself, under the cross, there is a raven with a piece of bread in its mouth - a symbol of the monastic order of the Paulines, who founded the monastery.

Entrance to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Nativity of the Virgin with two sundials above the door, with Arabic and Roman numerals.

On the left in the photo is the museum of the 600th anniversary of the monastery.

In the courtyard of the monastery there is a sacred spring, the water of which is believed to have the ability to heal illnesses. Pilgrims and tourists are sure to take at least a little of the wonderful water with them. Many come to the monastery specifically to pray for healing.

The courtyard in front of the entrance to the holy of holies of the Jasnogorsk Monastery - the chapel in which the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God is kept.

People from all over Poland constantly donate various gifts to the monastery. Since among the donors there were many kings, noble and simply wealthy people, over several centuries the monastery accumulated a rich collection of rare and expensive items of high historical value. Now some of them are kept in the monastery museum, and some decorate the walls of the chapel (pictured).

Let's look at the ceiling, all covered with weaving baroque patterns. Among the portraits decorating the ceiling vaults are not only saints, but also prominent people of Poland.

Photo from the page dorogimira.livejournal.com

And here it is - the same Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God. She is colloquially called the Black Madonna for her dark complexion. According to legend, it was written by the Apostle Luke. And in the 4th century, it was presented to the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, Saint Helena, during the latter’s visit to Jerusalem. It was she who transported her to Constantinople, which at that time was becoming the center of the Christian world. True, art historians are still inclined to believe that the icon was created in Byzantium around the 9th-11th centuries.

During her centuries-old history, she managed to serve in Byzantium, in Western Ukraine, and finally in Poland, and, as believers say, she performed miracles everywhere. The icon survived several wars and sieges of the monastery. In the 15th century, during the plunder of the monastery by the rebel Hussites, the icon was chopped with sabers and even after restoration, marks remained on the face. And during the Second World War, it was almost blown up along with the monastery by the retreating Nazis. Despite all the trials, the icon has survived to this day and still remains the main shrine of Poland.

Photo from the page dorogimira.livejournal.com

During the years when Poland was divided between Prussia, Russia and Austria (1795-1918) and did not have its own statehood, the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God was a symbol of the unity of the nation; it was equally revered in all regions of the divided country. And in the 20th century, during the years of persecution of religion, the icon also turned into a symbol of resistance to the communist regime.

By the way, the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God is considered a shrine not only by Catholics, but also by Orthodox Christians. A list from it is kept in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

– Yasnaya Gora Monastery. The miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Czestochowa, patroness of Poland, revered by Catholics and Orthodox Christians, is kept here. The spiritual monastery is a popular place of pilgrimage; according to tradition, believers come here barefoot.

Myths and facts

According to legend, the famous icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke himself in Jerusalem. Researchers claim that the relic was created in the 9th-11th centuries in Byzantium. In 1382, the icon ended its “holy journey” in Częstochowa, founded by the order of Pauline monks at the end of the 14th century. They were invited from Hungary by the Polish prince Wladyslaw of Opolsky.

In the 15th century, the monastery was plundered by the Hussites, but the miraculous image was saved. It is believed that it was from the blows of the Hussite sabers that scars were left on the Madonna’s face.

In the 17th century, the monastic monastery was surrounded by powerful fortress walls. Thanks to the fortification, the shrine withstood the long siege of the Swedes, described in G. Sienkiewicz’s novel “The Flood”.

The monastery was occupied by the Russian army twice (1722, 1813).

During World War II, the Nazis wanted to blow up the entire complex, but did not have time. Nowadays the spiritual monastery is active; Sunday masses are held here, exhibitions, conferences and meetings of the highest clergy are organized. Open to the public.

What to see

The territory of the monastery complex occupies 5 hectares. It itself is located on a hill 300 m high. The shrine has a quadrangular shape, with powerful bastions rising in the corners: Morshtynov, St. Barbara, Royal, Holy Trinity.

The flags of those countries where there are Christian denominations flutter in front of the entrance.

The main temple is the three-nave Cathedral of the Holy Cross and the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (XV-XVIII centuries), one of the brightest examples of Polish Baroque. The main altar of the cathedral is the work of the Italian master Giacomo Buzzini (1728).

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Czestochowa is kept in the chapel of the cathedral (reconstruction in 1644). She is also called the “Black Madonna” because of her dark complexion. The relic is placed on an altar made of ebony and silver and protected by a silver panel (17th century). The walls of the chapel are hung with gifts as a token of gratitude for healing from illnesses; it is interesting that there are many crutches hanging on one of the walls.

One of the attractions of the monastery is the Knight's Hall (XVII century). Previously, receptions of honored guests were held here and books were copied. The hall is furnished in the Renaissance style, decorated with paintings on the themes of the life of monks.

The tallest building of the shrine is a five-tier bell tower (XVIII century), built in the Baroque style. Its height is 106 m. There are 516 steps leading up. Every 15 minutes the melody of the hymn to the Virgin Mary is heard from the bell tower.

The complex of buildings also consists of a sacristy, a library where ancient printed publications and manuscripts are stored, an arsenal, living quarters of the monks, etc.

What else to see in Poland: and

Jasna Gora, Jasna Gora is a Catholic monastery in the Polish city of Czestochowa. The full name is the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Yasnogorsk. The monastery belongs to the monastic order of the Paulines. The Jasnogorsk Monastery is famous for the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God kept here, which is revered by Catholics as the greatest relic. Jasna Gora is the main site of religious pilgrimage in Poland.

In 1382, the Polish prince Władysław of Opolski invited monks of the Pauline Order to Poland from Hungary, who founded a monastery on a hill near the city of Czestochowa. The new monastery received the name “Yasnaya Gora” in honor of the main church of the order at that time - the Church of St. Lawrence on Jasna Gora in Buda. Vladislav Opolsky transferred the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary from the city of Belz (modern Ukraine) to Yasnaya Gora. Information about this event is contained in the ancient manuscript “Translatio Tabulae”, a copy of which, dating from 1474, is kept in the monastery archive. Since its founding, the monastery has become known as a place where the relic is kept; pilgrimages to the icon began already in the 15th century.

On Easter April 14, 1430, the monastery was attacked by a band of Hussite robbers from Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. They plundered the monastery, broke the icon into three parts and dealt several saber blows to the face. The restoration of the image took place in Krakow at the court of King Władysław Jagiello. Imperfect restoration techniques led to the fact that, although the icon was able to be put back together, the scars from saber strikes on the face of the Virgin Mary still showed through the fresh paint. In 1466, the monastery survived another siege by the Czech army.

In the 15th century, a new cathedral was built in the monastery. At the beginning of the 17th century, to protect against attacks, the monastery was surrounded by powerful walls, which turned Jasna Gora into a fortress. Very soon the fortifications of the monastery were subjected to a severe test of strength during the so-called “flood”, the Swedish invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1655. The Swedish offensive developed rapidly, and within a few months Poznan, Warsaw and Krakow were taken; the Polish gentry en masse went over to the side of the enemy; King Jan Casimir fled the country. On November 18 of the same year, the Swedish army under the command of General Miller approached the walls of Jasnaya Gora. Despite the multiple superiority of the Swedes in manpower (the Swedes were about 3 thousand against 170 soldiers, 20 nobles and 70 monks in the monastery), abbot Augustin Kordetsky decided to fight. The heroic defense of the monastery forced the invaders to retreat and served as an example for the whole country, leading to the expulsion of the Swedes, which was regarded by many in Poland as a miracle of the Virgin Mary. King Jan Casimir, who returned from exile, solemnly chose the Virgin Mary as the patroness of the kingdom during the “Lvov vows”.

The monastery had to endure several more attacks during the Northern War, in 1702, 1704 and 1705, but they were also repelled. In 1716, the monks of the monastery submitted a petition to Rome to have the image crowned. In 1717, after receiving approval from Pope Clement XI, the icon was crowned in the presence of 200,000 pilgrims. The placing of crowns on the heads of the Child and the Mother of God symbolized the special importance of the icon and its miraculous power.

After the defeat of the Bar Confederation in 1772, the last Polish king, Stanislaw Poniatowski, ordered the monastery to be surrendered to Russian troops. The second time the monastery was occupied by the Russian army in 1813 during the Napoleonic wars, the abbot of Jasnaya Gora presented the Russian military leaders with a copy of the icon, which was then kept in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg and was lost after the 1917 revolution. The Russian army destroyed the fortress walls of Jasnaya Gora, however, in 1843, Nicholas I ordered their restoration. The walls were built, however, in a slightly different configuration than before.

In conditions when Poland was divided between other states, the Jasnogorsk monastery and the icon stored in it were important symbols of the unity of the nation, so the Częstochowa image was depicted on the banners of the participants in the Polish uprising of 1863. After the suppression of the uprising, some of the Pauline monks were accused of supporting the rebels and deported to Siberia.

During the Second World War, the monastery was occupied by the Nazis and pilgrimages were prohibited. On January 16, 1945, a surprise attack by Soviet tanks on Częstochowa led to the Nazis abandoning the monastery without harming it.

After the war, Jasna Gora continued to be the spiritual center of the country. In September 1956, on the tercentenary of Jan Casimir’s “Lviv vows,” about a million believers prayed here for the release of the primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, who had been imprisoned by the communist authorities. The cardinal's release took place a month after this.

In August 1991, the Catholic World Youth Day was held in Częstochowa, in which Pope John Paul II took part, and during which more than a million people made a pilgrimage to the icon, including a significant number of young people from the USSR, which became one of the brightest evidence of the fall of the Iron Curtain.

The Yasnogorsk Monastery is located on a hill 293 meters high. The monastery's 106-meter bell tower dominates the city of Czestochowa and is visible from approximately 10 kilometers from the monastery. The territory of the monastery covers an area of 5 hectares. The monastery buildings are surrounded on three sides by a park, while on the fourth side there is a large square leading to them, which on major holidays is completely filled with pilgrims.

The monastery has a quadrangular shape, with powerful arrow-shaped bastions in the corners. The bastions are named:

Bastion Morsztynov
Bastion of St. Barbara (or Lubomirsky Bastion)
royal bastion (or Potocki bastion)
Bastion of the Holy Trinity (Shanyavsky Bastion)

The high 106-meter bell tower was built in 1714 in the Baroque style. It suffered from fires several times, and in 1906 it was reconstructed and built on.

The bell tower consists of 5 levels. At the height of the second level on the outside there are four clock dials on each side of the tower. Every 15 minutes, 36 bells play the melody of a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The interior of the third level is decorated with 4 statues - St. Paul of Thebes, St. Floriana, St. Casimir and St. Hedwig. There are 516 steps leading to the upper, fifth level. There are four statues of the Doctors of the Church - St. Albert the Great, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, St. Augustine and St. Ambrose of Milan. On the spire of the tower there is a statue of a raven with a piece of bread in its mouth (symbol of the Pauline Order) and a monogram of the Blessed Virgin. The spire is crowned with a cross.

The chapel in which the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God is kept is the heart of the monastery. The original chapel was built before the beginning of the 17th century; in 1644 it was rebuilt into a three-nave chapel (now the presbytery). The icon was placed on an ebony and silver altar donated to the monastery by the Great Chancellor Ossolinsky in 1650 and remains in the same place to this day. The silver panel protecting the icon dates back to 1673.

In 1929, another part was added to the chapel. The chapel has 5 altars, its walls are covered with votive gifts. The remains of Augustin Kordetsky, the abbot who led the defense of the monastery from the Swedes, are buried in the left wall.

The cathedral, adjacent to the chapel of the miraculous icon, is the oldest building of the monastery; its construction began at the beginning of the 15th century. Currently, the cathedral is 46 meters long, 21 meters wide and 29 meters high.

In 1690, a large fire practically destroyed the interior of the temple. In 1692-1695, restoration work was carried out. Several more restorations were carried out in 1706 and 1728.

The three-nave cathedral is one of the best examples of Baroque in Poland. The vaults of the presbytery and the main nave were designed by Karl Danquart in 1695. The main altar by Giacomo Buzzini was made in 1728. Among the numerous side chapels, the chapel of St. Paul of Thebes, St. Heart of Jesus, St. Anthony of Padua.

The sacristy (sacristy) is located between the cathedral and the chapel of the Virgin Mary and forms one complex with them. It was built in 1651, its length is 19 meters, width is 10 meters. The vault of the sacristy, like the cathedral, was painted by Karl Danquart; the wall paintings also date back to the 17th century.

The monastery has an extensive library. Among the unique library copies are 8,000 ancient printed books, as well as a large number of manuscripts. Many of them formed the core of the so-called Jagiellonian collection, which at one time was bequeathed to the monastery.

The new library building was built in 1739. The ceiling of the library is richly decorated with frescoes by an unknown Italian master. Since 1920, the Jasna Góra Library has been used for conferences of the Polish Catholic episcopate.

The Knights' Hall is located along the southern facade of the monastery behind the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1647 in the Renaissance style. The walls of the hall were painted in the 17th century by Polish masters and represent the most significant events in the history of the monastery. At the far end of the hall there is an altar of St. John the Evangelist, 18th century work.

Meetings, episcopate meetings, theological and philosophical conferences are held in the Knights' Hall.

The complex of monastery buildings also includes living quarters for the monks, the Arsenal, the Museum of the 600th Anniversary of the Monastery, the Royal Apartments, the Meeting Hall, etc.

Pilgrimages to the Yasnogorsk Monastery have been held since the 15th century. As a rule, organized groups of pilgrims gather in cities neighboring Czestochowa and then go to Jasna Gora on foot. According to a long-standing pious tradition, residents of those settlements through which pilgrims pass provide shelter and food to those in need.

There are especially large numbers of pilgrims on holidays dedicated to the Mother of God, especially on the day of the Assumption (August 15). In recent years, the number of pilgrims flocking to Czestochowa on this day exceeds 200 thousand people.

The defense of the Yasnogorsk monastery from the Swedes in 1655 is described on the pages of G. Sienkiewicz’s historical novel The Flood.

Website: http://www.jasnagora.pl

Pilgrimage trips to the Jasna Gora Monastery

Jasna Gora, Jasna Gora(Polish Jasna Gora) is a Catholic monastery in the Polish city of Czestochowa. Full title - Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Yasnogorsk(Polish Sanktuarium Najświętszej Maryi Panny Jasnogórskie). The monastery belongs to the monastic order of the Paulines. The Jasnogorsk Monastery is famous for the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God kept here, which is revered by Catholics as the greatest relic. Jasna Gora is the main site of religious pilgrimage in Poland.

Story

On Easter April 14, 1430, the monastery was attacked by a band of Hussite robbers from Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. She plundered the monastery, broke the icon into three parts and dealt several saber blows to the face. The restoration of the image took place in Krakow at the court of King Władysław Jagiello. Imperfect restoration techniques led to the fact that, although the icon was able to be put back together, the scars from saber strikes on the face of the Virgin Mary still showed through the fresh paint. In 1466, the monastery survived another siege by the Czech army.

In August 1991, the Catholic World Youth Day was held in Czestochowa, in which more than a million people took part in the pilgrimage to the icon, including a significant number of young people from the USSR, which became one of the clearest evidence of the fall of the Iron Curtain.

The monastery has a quadrangular shape, with powerful arrow-shaped bastions in the corners. The bastions are named:

Bastion Morsztynov

Bastion of St. Barbara (or Lubomirsky Bastion)

royal bastion (or Potocki bastion)

Bastion of the Holy Trinity (Shanyavsky Bastion)

Bell tower

The high 106-meter bell tower was built in 1714 in the Baroque style. It suffered from fires several times, and in 1906 it was reconstructed and built on.

Chapel of the Virgin Mary

The chapel in which the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God is kept is the heart of the monastery. The original chapel was built before the beginning of the 17th century; in 1644 it was rebuilt into a three-nave chapel (now the presbytery). The icon was placed on an ebony and silver plate, donated to the monastery by the Great Chancellor Ossolinsky in 1650 and still remains in the same place. The silver panel protecting the icon dates back to 1673.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Nativity of the Virgin Mary

In 1690, a large fire practically destroyed the interior of the temple. In 1692-1695, restoration work was carried out. Several more restorations were carried out in 1706 and 1728.

The three-nave cathedral is one of the best examples of Baroque in Poland. The vaults of the presbytery and the main nave were designed by Karl Danquart in 1695. The main one was made by Giacomo Buzzini in 1728. Among the numerous side chapels, the chapel of St. Paul of Thebes, St. Heart of Jesus, St. Anthony of Padua.

Sacristy

Library

Knight's Hall

Meetings, episcopate meetings, theological and philosophical conferences are held in the Knights' Hall.

The complex of monastery buildings also includes living quarters for the monks, the Arsenal, the Museum of the 600th Anniversary of the Monastery, the Royal Apartments, the Meeting Hall, etc.

Pilgrimages

Monastery in literature

The defense of the Yasnogorsk monastery from the Swedes in 1655 is described on the pages of G. Sienkiewicz’s historical novel The Flood.

In 1382, the Polish prince Władysław of Opolski invited monks of the Pauline order to Poland, who founded a monastery on a hill near the city of Częstochowa. The new monastery received the name “Yasnaya Gora” in honor of the main church of the order at that time - the Church of St. Lawrence on Jasnaya Gora in . The miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary was transferred from the city (modern) to Yasnaya Gora by Vladislav Opolsky. Information about this event is contained in the ancient manuscript “Translatio Tabulae”, a copy of which, dating from 1474, is kept in the monastery archive. Since its founding, the monastery has become known as a place where the relic is kept; pilgrimages to the icon began already in the 15th century.

On Easter April 14, 1430, the monastery was attacked by a band of Hussite robbers from Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. She plundered the monastery, broke the icon into three parts and dealt several saber blows to the face. The restoration of the image took place at the court of King Vladislav Jagiello. Imperfect restoration techniques led to the fact that, although the icon was able to be put back together, the scars from saber strikes on the face of the Virgin Mary still showed through the fresh paint. In 1466, the monastery survived another siege by the Czech army.

In the 15th century, a new cathedral was built in the monastery. At the beginning of the 17th century, to protect against attacks, the monastery was surrounded by powerful walls, which turned Jasna Gora into a fortress. Very soon the fortifications of the monastery were subjected to a severe test of strength during the so-called “flood”, the invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1655. The Swedish offensive developed rapidly; within a few months, and were taken; the Polish gentry en masse went over to the side of the enemy; King Jan Casimir fled the country. On November 18 of the same year, the Swedish army under the command of General Miller approached the walls of Jasnaya Gora. Despite the multiple superiority of the Swedes in manpower (the Swedes were about 3 thousand against 170 soldiers, 20 nobles and 70 monks in the monastery), abbot Augustin Kordetsky decided to fight. The heroic defense of the monastery forced the invaders to retreat and served as an example for the whole country, leading to the expulsion of the Swedes, which was regarded by many in Poland as a miracle of the Virgin Mary. King Jan Casimir, who returned from exile, solemnly chose the Virgin Mary as the patroness of the kingdom during the “Lvov vows”.

The monastery had to endure several more attacks during the Northern War, in 1702, 1704 and 1705, but they were also repelled. In 1716, the monks of the monastery submitted a petition to have the image crowned. In 1717, after receiving approval from Pope Clement XI, the icon was crowned in the presence of 200,000 pilgrims. The placing of crowns on the heads of the Child and the Mother of God symbolized the special importance of the icon and its miraculous power. during a visit to Jasna Gora in 2006]]

After the defeat of the Bar Confederation in 1772, the last Polish king, Stanislaw Poniatowski, ordered the monastery to be surrendered to the troops. The second time the monastery was occupied by the Russian army in 1813 during the Napoleonic wars, the abbot of Jasna Gora presented the Russian military leaders with a copy of the icon, which was then kept in and was lost after the 1917 revolution. The Russian army destroyed the fortress walls of Jasnaya Gora, however, in 1843, Nicholas I ordered their restoration. The walls were built, however, in a slightly different configuration than before.

Territory and buildings

The monastery has a quadrangular shape, with powerful arrow-shaped bastions in the corners. The bastions are named:

Bastion Morsztynov
Bastion of St. Barbara (or Lubomirsky Bastion)
royal bastion (or Potocki bastion)
Bastion of the Holy Trinity (Shanyavsky Bastion)

Bell tower

on the walls of the Chapel of the Virgin Mary]]

The high 106-meter bell tower was built in 1714 in the Baroque style. It suffered from fires several times, and in 1906 it was reconstructed and built on.

Chapel of the Virgin Mary

Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Nativity of the Virgin Mary

In 1690, a large fire practically destroyed the interior of the temple. In 1692-1695, restoration work was carried out. Several more restorations were carried out in 1706 and 1728.

Sacristy

Library

Knight's Hall

Meetings, episcopate meetings, theological and philosophical conferences are held in the Knights' Hall.

Others

The complex of monastery buildings also includes living quarters for the monks, the Arsenal, the Museum of the 600th Anniversary of the Monastery, the Royal Apartments, the Meeting Hall, etc.

Pilgrimages

Monastery in literature

The defense of the Yasnogorsk monastery from the Swedes in 1655 is described on the pages of G. Sienkiewicz’s historical novel The Flood.