It was the first higher education institution on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Jesuit Order, which created the most advanced education system of its time in Europe, was directly related to its founding.
The first rector of the Vilna Academy, opened under the privilege of Grand Duke Stepan Batura, was Peter Skarga, a famous Catholic preacher, writer and polemicist, who, by the way, was fluent in Belarusian language and wrote a number of works on it.
Initially, the Vilna Academy had theological and philosophical faculties, as well as 1641 year - and legal.
IN 1586 A printing house was opened at the academy.
WITH 1773 year, after the Pope's decree on the abolition of the Jesuit Order, the academy came under the control of the Educational Commission (essentially, the first Ministry of Education in Europe) and in 1781 it was transformed into the Main School of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. According to the university archives, academic degrees were awarded to 4,076 individuals.
IN 1803 year this school became known as the Imperial Vilna University. At that time there were faculties of literature and liberal sciences, moral and political sciences, medical and physical and mathematical. The university was the center of the Vilna educational district.
Throughout its history, a very significant part of the students and teachers of Vilna University were immigrants from Belarusian lands. In this center of science, preacher and speaker Peter Skarga gave lectures; famous New Latin poet, philosopher and literary theorist XVII century Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski; his contemporary, a brilliant expert on rhetoric, Zhigimont Lauksmin; Belarusian educator and astronomer Marcin Paczobut Odlenicki; Polish historian, author of the popular rebel call 1830 year “For our and your freedom!” Joachim Lelewel and other scientists with a European name. Among the students of the university are Simeon of Polotsk, the outstanding Polish poet Juliusz Słowacki, the Lithuanian historian Simonas Daukantas, one of the first researchers of legislative and chronicle monuments of Belarus Ignat Danilovich... Vilna students were Adam Mickiewicz, Jan Chachot, Tomasz Zan, Ignat Dameika, who were part of crushed by the tsarist police secret societies Philomatov and Philaretov.

In the first third XIX century at Vilnius University operated art departments engravings, sculpture, painting and drawing, where students received serious preparation for entry into art academies. Famous painters and graphic artists Franciszek Smuglewicz, Jan Rustem, and sculptor Kazimir Jelski taught here. The students of the Vilna art school were Belarusian painters and graphic artists Joseph Oleshkevich, Valentiy Vankovich, Ivan Khrutsky, Napoleon Orda, Heinrich and Vikenty Dmakhovsky. After the forced annexation of Belarus to Russian Empire the university was a powerful center of spiritual opposition to the colonialists. A number of Vilnius teachers and students took Active participation in the national liberation uprising of 1830-1831. This played a decisive role in the closure of the university by the tsarist authorities in 1832 year.
On the basis of the former university faculties, the Medical-Surgical and Theological Academies were created, but after ten years of existence, the first was transferred to Kyiv, and the second to St. Petersburg.

13.

Through the arch near the library you can go into the Dauksha courtyard (on diagram No. 8), framed by the Faculty of History and the apartments of professors. Mikalojus Dauksa is one of the founders of Lithuanian writing in the 16th century. A wooden monument to him hangs right on the tree:

14.

Well, now - deep into the University Quarter! True, at the exit from the gateway, our aunt caught up with us and asked who allowed us to come here. I was scared - “what a bummer?!” - but in Lithuania this is somehow simpler: it turned out that you just had to pay for the tickets, which were accompanied for free by a diagram of the university courtyards, on which the cashier, before our very eyes, drew the passages with a pen.
So, the following is the central courtyard of Sarbevia at the university:

15.

Matvey Kazimir Sarbevy (Sarbewski) is a Polish poet of the 17th century who wrote in Latin and was rewarded by the Pope himself. The left building (1799-17801) was built as professorial apartments, and now belongs to the philology department. The right building is based on the 17th century, but took on its current appearance in the 1830s. Finally, right ahead is the former university stable, which changed its purpose many times and since 1979 was rebuilt into the Literra bookstore, notable for its murals immortalizing the most important graduates and teachers and their deeds.

16.

Sarbevia Courtyard is located in the very center of the university. Let's go first to the right, along the stairs under the Liberty Bell...

17.

To the Great Court, or Skarga's courtyard, in honor of the first rector of Vilnius University, Peter Skarga. It acquired its current appearance with arcades in 1610 - how many generations of students have remembered their alma mater like this?!

18.

Under these arcades there is also a whole pantheon of memorial plaques:

19.

And with reverse side- this is the view. On the right is the university village (1762, i.e. the assembly hall), and on the left is the main facade of the Church of St. John (1738-49). All this was created by Johann Glaubitz - the most outstanding master and legislator of the “Vilna Baroque” - an architectural style that, without exaggeration, became the “calling card” of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, much like our patterned style. At the same time, the current bell tower was built - the highest (68m) in Vilnius... however, I have already told a lot about it.

20.

And in general, the Church of St. John is one of the most stunning churches I have ever been to. And it’s not even about the magnificent decoration, as in the external one:

21.

So is the internal one with a gallery of various Saints John (Baptist, Theologian, Chrysostom, Nepomuk, Capistarne, etc.):

22.

Not in the most beautiful organ music, continuously flowing in the hall (the organ itself was built in 1830-35, and, like in the Cathedral, is considered the largest in Lithuania):

23.

But the fact is that for the first time I see a combination of religion and science in a church building! Next to the sculptures of saints are portraits of professors and monuments to figures of Polish culture, which in the 19th century it was not possible to install on city streets:

24.

50.

But perhaps the most interesting three years in the life of this palace were 1863-65, when six Lithuanian and Belarusian provinces were led by Governor General Mikhail Muravyov, later Muravyov-Vilensky. By that time, he had fought a fair amount of war on various fronts (including in Poland in the 1830s), led several provinces and founded a mathematical society in Moscow. In Poland, Lithuania and 17% of Belarus they hate him and call him “Ant the Executioner” and “Ant the Hangman,” but in addition to all sorts of executions and exiles, he also stifled freedom through peaceful means, from economic to ecclesiastical. Muravyov’s logic was simple: the Belarusian peasantry are the same Russian peasants, only under a Catholic master, and therefore it is necessary to weaken the noble landowners, strengthen Orthodoxy and public education according to the all-Russian model: “What the Russian bayonet did not complete, the Russian school will complete!” Under him, churches were closed en masse and handed over to the Orthodox (which, alas, was sometimes accompanied by the destruction of their relics), hundreds of churches were built in the pseudo-Russian style - they are now called “muraviovki”, and they are found throughout the western provinces. Hundreds of public schools were also founded in those years, teaching in Russian. In general, such an effective and rapid assimilation of the region hardly had any analogues in history. The hatred of Muravyov here is quite understandable - in fact, he destroyed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a historical community. However, no one then foresaw such an effect as the emergence of a new historical community - Belarusians, who distanced themselves from the Lithuanian past, but did not merge with the Great Russians.
In 1906-1915, the Muravyov-Vilensky Museum was located in the palace’s card room.

51.

Well, we’re heading back to Piles along St. John’s Street. The following part will be devoted to the axis of the Old Town - Piles, Djöyi and Ausros-Wartu.

P.S.
And in Moscow Boris Godunov was going to open a university - but: famine, uprising, Troubles, further decline and alienation. However, Moscow University could still be, could well be younger than Vilensky not by nearly two centuries, but by 30-40 years. “Give me, Nikola the boyar’s son, the Ipatiyevskaya chronicle for my right hand, and the Laurentian chronicle for my shuitsa!”

LITHUANIA-2013
and table of contents.
Border of the Principality of Lithuania.
. Smolyany, Lepel and Babtsy.
. Begoml, Budslav, Vileyka.
. Smorgon, Krevo, Medininkai.
Vilnius.
.
.
Vilna University.
Piles - Djöyi - Ausros-Wartu. Axis of the Old Town.
Temples of the Old City.
Streets of the Old Town and Užupis.
Bernardines and Saint Anne.
New town. Station and Pogulyanka.
New town. Lukishkes (Lukishki).
New town. Zverinas (Menagerie) and Šnipiškės.
Antakalnis (Antokol)
Belmontas and the Cannon Factory.
Vilna Calvary.
Life in a treasury. People and realities of Vilnius.
Paneriai (Ponary).
Lithuania. Past and present.
History and architecture.
Color and features.
People and realities.
Dzukia (Dainava).
Truck.
Aukstadvaris and the Devil's Pit.
Rumšiškės. Lithuanian scansen.
Kėdainiai (although it is no longer in Dzukija).
Kaunas.
Lithuania Minor (Memelland).
Samogitia (Zhmud, Samogitia, Lower Land).
Aukštaitija (Upper Land).
Latgale in Latvia.
The road home through Lubavitch.

VILNA IMPERIAL UNIVERSITY

I don’t know if Jews studied at this university, I’m afraid not. It existed for a rather short time, and even during a period when the Haskalah played a rather insignificant role among Russian Jewry.
Nevertheless, to complete the picture, I consider it necessary to talk about it.

Vilna University(Uniwersytet Wileński) was founded in 1579 by Stefan Batory as the Vilna Academy and University (Akademia i Uniwersytet Wileński). In 1773, as a result of reform under the auspices of the National Education Commission (Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), the university was renamed "The main Lithuanian school"(“Szkoła Główna Litewska”, and the Jagiellonian University similarly became the “Main Crown School” - “Szkoła Główna Koronna”) and received all educational institutions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under its control. as a result of the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, short time The school lost its status as a higher education institution. However, already in 1803 status was again received along with a new name - Imperial Vilna University.

Faculties

Consisted of four faculties - physics and mathematics, medicine, moral and political (with theology), literature with fine arts. There were 32 departments, 55 subjects were taught. belonged to the university Botanical Garden, anatomical museum, clinic, physical and chemical laboratories, library of 60 thousand volumes.
Teaching was conducted primarily in Polish and Latin. After Czartoryski's removal, reading was gradually introduced individual items in Russian.

Patriot movement and university closure

Vilna University early became the center of Polish patriots who dreamed of returning their homeland to its former independent position. Under him, various patriotic societies began to arise, most of which were closed with the appointment of Novosiltsev as trustee of the district in 1824. From among him to large number Polish propagandists came out, and finally almost all of its members took part in the Polish uprising of 1830-31.
The last circumstance served main reason to his closure by decree of May 1, 1832., so that, however, medical and theological departments were transferred to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to transform the first into medical-surgical academy(in 1842 merged into the Kiev Imperial University of St. Vladimir, later Kiev National University named after Taras Shevchenko), and the second - to the Catholic Theological Academy(transferred to St. Petersburg in 1844).

By closing V. University, the government did not want to deprive the region higher education. A decree of the same year prescribed the establishment of a higher lyceum in the city of Orsha and work began, but in 1834 they were stopped, and the amounts of money assigned for them were transferred to the establishment of the University of Kyiv (St. Vladimir).

Main Vilna school

After the abolition of the Jesuit Order in 1773, the Vilna Academy and the University came under the jurisdiction of the Educational Commission (Commission of National Education), governing body education in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1773-1794. The educational institution was transformed into the Main School of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ( Schola Princips Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae), education in which became more secular in nature. All educational institutions of the region were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Main School, in relation to which it played the role of a central governing institution.

After the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, this educational institution was renamed the Main Vilna School.

Imperial Vilna University

By the act signed on April 4 (16), 1803 by Emperor Alexander I, the Main Vilna School was transformed into the Imperial Vilna University. The university developed rapidly thanks to favorable conditions, secured by income from Jesuit estates and the patronage of the trustee, Prince Adam Czartoryski. During the reign of the rector Jerome Strojnowski (1799-1806), it was still necessary to attract foreign professors, then they were increasingly replaced by local natives. The seven-year rectorship of Jan Sniadecki (1807-1814) is considered “ best time university".

Due to the direct participation or indirect involvement of students and teachers in the uprising of 1831, the university was abolished by a rescript of Nicholas I on May 1, 1832. The medical and theological faculties were transformed into the Medical-Surgical Academy (later merged into the Kiev University of St. Vladimir, 1842) and into the Catholic Theological Academy (later transferred to St. Petersburg, 1842).

Large courtyard of the university. Ser. XIX century

higher educational institution and educational governing body of the Vilna educational district in 1803-1832.

Story

The higher education institution in Vilna was founded in 1579 by King Stephen Batory and Pope Gregory XIII as the Academy and University of the Vilna Society of Jesus. In 1773, as a result of the reform under the auspices of the Educational Commission, the Academy and the University was transformed into the “Main Lithuanian School” and all educational institutions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were subordinated, and after the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the Main Lithuanian School was transformed into the Main Vilna School.

By an act signed on April 4, 1803 by Emperor Alexander I, the Main Vilna School was transformed into the Imperial Vilna University. Transferred to the jurisdiction of the university educational institutions Vilna educational district, covering eight provinces of the Russian Empire. In 1803, Prince Adam Czartoryski was appointed trustee of the Vilna educational district, who contributed to the flourishing of the university. Czartoryski held the position of trustee for twenty years, combining it with the posts of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In accordance with the “Charter or general resolution of the Imperial Vilna University and the schools of its district” approved on May 18, 1803, the university was simultaneously an educational, scientific and educational-administrative local institution that elected directors of gymnasiums, superintendents of district schools and other officials who controlled the educational and methodological , disciplinary, economic activity district educational institutions, published and censored educational and methodological literature. The teachers' seminary at the university trained qualified school teachers.

Aula University

The university was the richest among all Russian universities: in addition to the regular amount of 130 thousand rubles per year allocated to all universities, the funds consisted of annual receipts of 105 thousand rubles from the income of former Jesuit estates, as well as additional one-time allocations (in 1804, 70 thousand rubles from Alexander I, in 1807 a subsidy 30 thousand rubles, in 1811 60 thousand rubles. The number of students grew from 290 in 1804 to 1,321 in 1830. By 1823 it became the largest university in Russia and Europe, surpassing the number of students at Oxford University. Initially, doctorates and degrees were awarded at Vilnius University. Master's degrees in a wide range scientific disciplines literature, government revenue and trade management, foreign government relations, jurisprudence, architecture and others. In 1819, the university was deprived of the right to award master's and doctoral degrees; graduates could receive a candidate's degree. In 1821, it was prohibited to issue candidate diplomas.

Secret student patriotic organizations operated at the university. In 1823, dozens of university students, including Adam Mickiewicz, were arrested on charges of belonging to them. 108 of them were brought to trial. After a long period of imprisonment during the investigation and trial, 20 people were deported to various cities in Russia. Adam Czartoryski was removed. His place was taken by N. N. Novosiltsev. In connection with the Philomat process, on the initiative of Novosiltsev, from the university, by decree on August 14, 1824, in order to “suppress the harmful influence that the party opposing the university authorities had,” professors Jozef Golukhovsky, Ignatius Danilovich, Joachim Lelewel, as well as Michal Bobrovsky were dismissed and expelled from Lithuania

Due to the direct participation or indirect involvement of students and teachers in the uprising of 1831, on May 1, 1832, the university was abolished by a rescript of Nicholas I. The medical faculty was transformed into the Medical-Surgical Academy, the theological faculty into the Catholic Theological Academy.

Since 1855, the University buildings housed the Museum of Antiquities, later the Public Library, an archive, as well as two men's gymnasiums. IN different time the writer and collector A.V. Zhirkevich, Polish statesman J. Pilsudski, Soviet statesman F. E. Dzerzhinsky, actor V. I. Kachalov, artist M. V. Dobuzhinsky, Lithuanian composer K. Galkauskas, literary theorist M. M. Bakhtin.

The tradition of student organizations in 1932-1936 was continued by the “Front”, a legal organization. She worked under the influence of the Communist Party of Western Belarus, united about half of the Polish, Belarusian, Lithuanian students, influenced the intelligentsia and national organizations. The Front's print organ is the newspaper "Zew"; published the newspapers “Po Prostu” and “Karta”, popular in Poland, in which Maxim Tank and Jerzy Putrament collaborated; illegal revolutionary leaflets. The Polish authorities banned the activities of the organization, and the leaders were imprisoned.