THREE VILNIUS MARTYRS AND THE BEGINNING OF THE HOLY TRINITY MONASTERY IN VILNIUS (Trzej wilenscy meczennicy i poczatki monasteru sw. Trojcy w Wilnie)

• Authors: Chomik Piotr
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The Holy Trinity Monastery in Vilnius was presumably founded in the middle of the 14th century thanks to the second wife of Duke Olgierd, Duchess Julianna Twerska. The Monastery's foundation was evoked by death of the so called Three Vilnius Martyrs: Antoni, Jan and Eustachy. They were put to death between January and December 1347, and the monastery was funded at the place of their execution. A connection between the foundation of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Vilnius and death of three Vilnius martyrs is very strong. It should be understood not only in religious but also political terms. Antoni, Jan and Eustachy were tortured to death because they refused to adjust to external conditions at Olgierd's pagan court. When the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was at war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the cult of three Orthodox martyrs from Vilnius could openly threaten Duke Olgierd. For this reason, he attempted in the following years to refresh relations with the Moscow State and Byzantium, as well as regulate a status of Orthodox population living in his country. Thus the canonization of the Vilnius martyrs served this purpose as well. The foundation of the Holy Trinity Monastery was a confirmation of a new official policy being pursued by the GDL towards Orthodox religion. As early as in the 15th century, the Holy Trinity Monastery in Vilnius played a significant role in the capital city itself and within the whole territory of the GDL. At the end of the 15th century, the Vilnius Monastery's Archimandrite was Makary, who was elected Kiev Metropolitan in 1494.

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Uniwersytet w Białymstoku. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku
• Journal: Studia Podlaskie
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 19
• Pages: 81-92
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Chomik Piotr

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

11PLAAAA10904