Church of St. Nicholas / Šv. Mikalojaus bažnycia - Vilnius (Lithuania)
N 54° 40.693 E 025° 16.968
35U E 389281 N 6060338
Small, but beautiful and historically valuable - it's Church of St. Nicholas (Šv. Mikalojaus bažnycia), the oldest preserved church in Vilnius and parish church of Vilnius' St. Nicholas Roman Catholic parish...
Waymark Code: WMMKHA
Location: Lithuania
Date Posted: 10/03/2014
Views: 5
Small, but beautiful and historically valuable - it's Church of St. Nicholas (Šv. Mikalojaus bažnycia), the oldest preserved church in Vilnius and parish church of Vilnius' St. Nicholas Roman Catholic parish.
Church of St. Nicholas was built for a community of German Hanseatic merchants probably in the first half of the 14th century. Firstly (written note) mentioned in 1387, it has retained its simple appearance, characteristic of the Early Lithuanian Gothic style. The church, constructed from red bricks, is so small because Lithuanians were mostly still Pagans at the time. The interior decorations dates from later periods: the 16th century ribbed vaults with colourful decoration are late-Gothic, while the altars and organ loft, installed in the 18th century, are Baroque. From 1901 to 1939 St. Nicholas was the only church ln Vilnius where services were held in Lithuanian language. St. Nicholas belonged among the few churches, which were opened during the time of the Soviet Union.