The monastery complex, located at the intersection of Jalovcova (Mozhzhevelnikovaya), Husova (Jana Hus), Jilská (Ilya) and the famous Zlata streets, today is one of the centers of the cultural and spiritual life of the capital.

Architecture

The construction of the baroque monastery, begun in 1663, was carried out by the outstanding Italian architect Carlo Lurago, who was later replaced by his countryman Giovanni Domenico Orsi. The final stage of construction took place at the beginning of the 18th century, although later minor changes were made to the exterior and interior, and the northern part of the complex was adjusted in the first half of the 19th century.

Spatially, the Dominican monastery occupies an elongated trapezoidal area in the immediate vicinity of the Church of St. Ilya. The building with a large courtyard, divided into two parts by a transverse wing, reaches a height of two floors, with the exception of the northeastern part, where a third floor is added.

Among the relatively simple Baroque facades of the monastery, it is worth highlighting the early Baroque portal on Mozhzhevelnikova Street, historical interpretations on Jan Hus Street, and the entrance portals of the first half of the 19th century on Ilya Street.

The interior of the monastery also retained baroque features. So, on the ground floor of the building, you can see vaults in the early Baroque and Gothic styles, arched passages and stairs of the Renaissance. Of particular note are the monastery refectory with stucco work and painted ceiling, as well as the library with no less impressive stucco decoration and baroque bookcases.

baroque refectory

The luxurious baroque refectory was created at the end of the 17th century as the main building of the Dominican monastery and the Czech Dominican order in general. The rich stucco decoration of the walls and arches is complemented by about fifty paintings, divided into several themes of different content and format. The dominant feature of the hall is a monumental arch depicting the wedding scene in Cana, namely the moment when the servants bring in jugs of water, which the Virgin Mary must turn into wine. Nearby are paintings of St. Elijah and St. Dominic, patron saint of the church and founder of the Dominican order. The niches of the side walls are occupied by a series of eighteen portraits of saints whose mission was to exalt the spiritual significance of the order: Thomas Aquinas, St. Vincent Fierrera, St. Catherine of Siena and others. The theme of the rest of the paintings is connected with biblical parables and quotations. Today, the renovated refectory is rented out as a spectacular venue for weddings, receptions, concerts, conferences and trainings.

Story

The first written mention of the church of St. Ilya, adjacent to the monastery, dates back to 1238, but archaeological research has shown that the sanctuary in this place was already at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. Once it was occupied by the Utraquists, then by the Hussites, and in 1626 the church passed into the possession of the Dominican Order, which has been in Prague since the first half of the 13th century. The Dominicans restored the church and added a baroque monastery to it, which became the center of the intellectual and artistic life of the city.

Today, the Dominican Order is actively working on the reconstruction and development of the monastery. In the future, it is planned to open a literary cafe and a center for various cultural and educational events, and now everyone has the opportunity to spend a few days in the monastery hotel. Simple 1,2,3,5-bed rooms are equipped with necessary furniture, a modern bathroom, a shared kitchen and free wi-fi. The cost of living is in the range of 300-700 CZK per person.

In addition, the historical environment of the refectory and the entire monastery complex, of course, attracts filmmakers. One of the most famous films shot within the walls of the monastery is Amadeus by the Czech director Milos Forman.

Dominican monastery in the complex with the church of St. Ilya is interesting not only for its baroque design, but also for the special atmosphere created by the centuries-old traditions of the order.

"Tallinn and islands - Muhu and Saaremaa"
... There is a legend that the mother of the founder of the Dominican order - St. Dominic - before the birth of her son, saw in a dream that she would give birth to a black and white dog, which would be a torch to illuminate the world. Hence the nickname of the Dominicans - "domini canes", i.e. god dogs.
... Guys-“monks” in brown cassocks solemnly led us to the anvil, handed us a coin with a hole, and each of us put a coin into a special hole, pressed down with a cast-iron cap and poked with a heavy hammer. A dog and an inscription were minted on a coin, then it was strung on a shaggy string and hung around our necks. This is a gift ticket.
…Finally, we enter the same capitular room. It is dark, light pours from a single small and narrow window, dilapidated stone slabs stand along the walls, and there is a chair in the center. This is the famous mystical energy room, it is believed that an energy pillar is located in the center under the dome.

I'm in and

DOMINIIKLASTE KLOOSTRI & MUSEUM/ DOMINICAN MONASTERY AND MUSEUM

On the second day after a trip to Kadriorg, where we spent half a day, we decided to go to the Dominican monastery. The monastery sign-index shows a dog with a burning torch in its mouth. There is a legend that the mother of the founder of the Dominican order - Saint Dominic - before the birth of her son (in 1215) saw in a dream that she would give birth to a black and white dog, which would be a torch to illuminate the world. That is why Saint Dominic is often depicted by medieval painters with a torch accompanied by a dog. Hence the nickname of the Dominicans - domini canes, i.e. god dogs. However, there is one trick. Entrance to the monastery museum - from the street. Vene. Bought tickets. And I dreamed of getting into the mysterious monastery itself. After long negotiations with guys disguised as monks, in a mixture of Estonian-Russian-English, it turned out that the entrance we needed was on st. Muirivahe.

MUSEUM OF THE DOMINICAN MONASTERY(kloostri.ee)

The “monks” in brown cassocks solemnly led us to the anvil, handed us a coin with a hole, and each of us put a coin into a special hole, pressed down with a cast-iron cap and poked with a heavy hammer. A dog and an inscription were minted on a coin, then it was strung on a shaggy string and hung around our necks. This is a gift ticket. Very good.

The museum itself is an open courtyard, where wild grapes crawl along the gray stone walls and two echoing dark high-vaulted galleries, at the end of which there are immured doorways, candles in bowls burn and a recording of a male choir is turned on. Inside the courtyard there is a green area with narrow benches (obviously, concerts are held here), and a large stone ancient well. Previously, the well was clean and the monks brewed beer in it, but now tourists throw coins at the bottom and make wishes, this is the “wishing well”. Here we took some wonderful photos in the retro mode of the camera. When they left, two young Estonians came, sat on a bench and began to sing. They had marvelous operatic voices and surrounded by medieval walls, we experienced fantastic sensations.

DOMINICAN MONASTERY(mauritanum.eu)

Log into Kloostri itself, i.e. monastery, you need st. Muirivahe we dived into Katarina Lane and went out to it (Katarina Lane is a crossbar in the letter "H" between two parallel streets - Vene And Muirivahe).

Bought tickets. They climbed a narrow stone staircase and ended up in a poorly lit room. There were no people, a slightly strange woman came out to us and led us to the library. In general, from that moment a strange movie began: a dark long library, shadows from a candle on the table are dancing on the wall, two dark portraits are above, these are “Monk Dominik sent two people to all corners of the world and these two came to Tallinn and founded a Dominican monastery here”- tells us a strange woman.

Then we hear something like: “Now go down to the dungeon, don’t be afraid, everything is possible, sit in the capitular hall on a chair, you can’t take more than 2 minutes, it’s unlikely that you will be able to photograph something”. Then she showed us two photographs: on one - some white shadows hung over a group of tourists, on the other - for some reason, as if an illuminated image of a mysterious capitular hall, where I so dream to go. We got excited, finally get up and follow the arrows on the floor to the stairs down.

First, we find ourselves in a kind of basement with bookshelves, on two tables opened medieval spiritualistic books.

I take pictures, but the camera freezes ... Then the materialistic-minded husband explained to me that just the night mode of the camera takes time to set up. Okay, I'll pretend to believe it. Finally we enter the same capitular hall.

It is dark, light pours from a single small and narrow window, dilapidated stone slabs stand along the walls, and there is a chair in the center. It's famous mystical energy room, it is believed that an energy column is located in the center under the dome. Here, in the Middle Ages, Dominican monks nourished their physical and mental strength, exhausted by fasting. The sensations are very strong, I linger there for a little more than 2 minutes, but then a clear understanding comes that everything is enough. Fotik, by the way, barely takes pictures. Night mode of course...

We find ourselves, obviously, in the dormitory, or the former bedrooms of the monks.
For some reason, I remember my favorite childhood book, The Last Carolingians, by A. Govorov. On the wall we examine a fragment of a very curious ancient stone fresco: it is called neutrally “Fool’shead”, i.e. "Jester's head", but it depicts a strange unearthly man with two horns. The materialistic husband harbors not a shadow of doubt, despite the webbed ears of this strange creature.


(c) photo from the Internet

Then we get into a stone gallery, from where we can see the courtyard of the museum, where we have just visited and from where a strange woman, through a glazed arch, photographed strange shadows. The materialist husband happily debunks this myth too - he is sure (he personally took a test shot) that this is a reflection of a flash in the glass. Well, again, you have to pretend that you believed ...

(1349)

(text by Elena Bobrova)

The complex of buildings left from the Dominican monastery in Tallinn is located between Myurivahe and Vene streets, which are crossed by Munga street. As you know, the Dominican Order was founded by the Spaniard Saint Dominic de Guzman in 1216. Members of the order, traveling in Europe in pairs, had to preach the Gospel in its most remote areas (previously only bishops could preach, and there were not enough of them for everyone). So two Dominican monks arrived in Tallinn in 1229 and founded a monastery on Toompea, but already in 1233 they were forced to leave because of disagreements with the German knights. In 1246, the Dominicans returned to Tallinn and were given the right to establish a new monastery in the city, dedicated to St. Catherine - the first monastery in the Lower City.

In the four buildings of the monastery there were rooms connected by passages: a church, a bedroom, a refectory, a library, a tomb, a chapter hall, a kitchen, barns. Here is a diagram of the monastery of those years.

1 - church (church), 2 - reguiem chapel (chapel),
3 - dormitory (bedroom), 3a- chapter hall (chapter hall),
4 - supposable library (supposed library),
5 - old refectory (old refectory), 6 - new refectory (new refectory),
7 - supposable kitchen with its auxiliary rooms (proposed kitchen with auxiliary rooms),
8 - rooms for lay brethren (rooms for worldly brothers), 9, 10, 11 - cloister (monastery's procession),
12 - inner courtyard (inner courtyard), 13 - well (well), 14 - granary (barn).
The only thing that is inaccurate on this diagram: under the bedroom (dormitory) there is still a chapter hall.

From the first years of the existence of the monastery, a school for Estonian children operated under it. The site for the construction of the monastery was chosen very carefully so that the territorial location fully corresponded not only to the spiritual, but also to the material interests of the monks. The novices were engaged in trade (mainly fish) in order to earn their living. In 1517, the Reformation began in Germany, which then quickly spread to the Baltic states. The loyal attitude of the monks to the authority of the Roman Pope made them enemies of the Protestants. The Dominican monastery in Tallinn was destroyed on September 15, 1524 - the buildings were taken over by the city school, and the church went to the Estonian parish.

In 1531, the church was so damaged by fire that it became unusable. In 1799, the northern wing of the monastery passed into the possession of the Catholic Church, and in 1844 a new neo-Gothic church of St. Peter and Paul was built on the site of the monastery refectory. In 1924, the former living quarters, church, garden, and refectory of the Dominican monastery were restored and opened to the public. From the monastery complex, only the western wall with two portals, part of the southern wall with fragments of three buttresses, window openings and the lower part of the southeastern tower, as well as fragments of the northern wall and the Church of St. Catherine have survived to this day.

A fragment of the portal of the Church of St. Catherine (1), which can be seen in the Katarina Lane (photo by E. Bobrova)

In 1954-1965. the monastery buildings were restored, and a museum of stone-cutting art was opened in them, exhibits for which were collected throughout the Old Town. Now the complex of monastic buildings is divided between three owners, two of which are different museums of the Dominican monastery, and the third is an artist who sells his works. Now we will go through one of the museums, the entrance to which is located from the side of Muurivahe Street. Climbing the stairs, we find ourselves on the second floor in the former bedroom. There are three doors leading out of the room. Left - this staircase leading down; the central one leads to a covered gallery (the same "Jester" hangs next to it - see photo), but we will go to the right and find ourselves in the library. Two bas-reliefs hang above the bookshelves, which depict portraits of the same two Dominicans who were the first to reach Tallinn and founded a monastery here.

"Jester's head", relief of the 16th century (photo by E. Bobrova)

We go down the stairs to the first floor. There is also a library here. Now let's go through the door leading to the chapter room. Two chairs are placed in the middle of the hall so that visitors can experience the impact of the energy pillar. I confess I didn't feel anything. In the corners of the room, against the walls, there are various examples of stone-cutting art, and the vault of the hall, although low, is Gothic. After looking around, along the stone stairs, consecrated only by candles, we will return to the bedroom. Now through the central door we will leave on the covered gallery. It also demonstrates examples of stone-cutting art.

From the gallery window you can see the monastery courtyard and that part of the monastery complex that belongs to another museum. Previously, it was possible to go down to the courtyard, but now the stairs have been laid. Opposite the window is the entrance to the monastery chapel. It is also used to exhibit stone carving art. This concludes our tour, because there is nothing more to see in this museum. Going down the street, you can still go through a beautiful door and get into the artist's shop.

The Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine (now the Latin Quarter) is the oldest Catholic monastery in Estonia. It was founded in the 13th century by the Order of the Preacher Brothers in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria on the territory of the present-day Lower Town of Tallinn (Revel). The ruins of the monastery are today between Vene (Russian), Munga and Muirivahe streets.

History and preservation of the monastery

At the beginning of the 13th century, the land of modern Estonia was captured by Danish and German crusaders. The Christianization of the Estonians began immediately. In 1219, together with the Danish king Valdemar II, the Catholic clergy arrived in Tallinn, headed by Archbishop Andreas of Lund, Bishop Theodorik of Estonia, and two other bishops. Following them, in 1229, the Dominicans appeared here, who first founded a monastery in Vyshgorod. Due to the strife between the Danish and German knights, the Dominicans had to leave this place. In 1246, the preacher brothers returned to Vyshgorod, and in 1260 they moved to the Lower City, where they began to build a church, around which a monastery later grew. The Church of St. Catherine was built until the 16th century. The monastery was built like a convent house - its main premises formed a closed rectangular courtyard with an internal gallery along the perimeter: in the south - a church, in the north - a refectory, in the west - a dormitory, in the east - a chapter house. The Dominican monastery developed along with other monasteries that later appeared in Tallinn and in general with church life, which could develop in the center of the diocese (Northern Estonia was part of it), which became Tallinn. The cathedral, which was founded before by the Dominican monks, was completed, and it became the residence of the bishop. Today, this cathedral, known as Domsky, is the architectural dominant of Old Tallinn. The monks of the Dominican monastery learned the Estonian language, later the brethren of the monastery were replenished with people from the local population and the monastery gradually became the center of Estonian culture, enriching Estonian literature, translations from Latin and other languages. At the monastery there was a school in which they taught literacy and studied the Scriptures. This school became the reason for the well-known quarrel with the Dome Cathedral about the privilege of teaching, which ended only after a special decision of the Pope. During the Reformation, the brothers-preachers left the monastery and its buildings were used by the city for various purposes, including a school, to accommodate hired Polish troops and an almshouse. However, after the fire of 1531, the buildings of the monastery were no longer used (except for the granary), only its territory was gradually built up with new houses. In 1525, the Lutheran Reformation took place in the region. The Dominicans were expelled from the city, and their property was confiscated, monastic life within the walls of the monastery ceased. As a result of the fire, the Church of St. Catherine was completely burned out. Most of the monastery premises were also damaged by fire, the remains of which dilapidated and collapsed over time. In 1710 Tallinn became a Russian city...

Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine(now - Latin Quarter listen)) is the oldest Catholic monastery in Estonia. It was founded in the 13th century by the Order of the Preacher Brothers in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria on the territory of the present-day Lower Town of Tallinn (Revel). The ruins of the monastery are today between Vene (Russian), Munga and Muyrivyakhe streets.

History and preservation of the monastery

At the beginning of the 13th century, the land of modern Estonia was captured by Danish and German crusaders. The Christianization of the Estonians began immediately. In 1219, together with the Danish king Valdemar II, the Catholic clergy arrived in Tallinn, led by Archbishop Andreas of Lund, Bishop Theodorik of Estonia, and two other bishops. Following them, in 1229, the Dominicans appeared here, who first founded a monastery in Vyshgorod. Due to the strife between the Danish and German knights, the Dominicans had to leave this place.

In 1246, the preacher brothers returned to Vyshgorod, and in 1260 they moved to the Lower City, where they began to build a church, around which a monastery later grew. The Church of St. Catherine was built until the 16th century.

The monastery was built according to the type of convent - its main premises formed a closed rectangular courtyard with an inner gallery along the perimeter: in the south - a church, in the north - a refectory, in the west - a dormitory, in the east - a chapter house.

The Dominican monastery developed along with other monasteries that later appeared in Tallinn and in general with church life, which could develop in the center of the diocese (Northern Estonia was part of it), which became Tallinn. The cathedral, which was founded before by the Dominican monks, was completed, and it became the residence of the bishop. Today, this cathedral, known as Domsky, is the architectural dominant of Old Tallinn.

The monks of the Dominican monastery learned the Estonian language, later the brethren of the monastery were replenished with people from the local population and the monastery gradually became the center of Estonian culture, enriching Estonian literature, translations from Latin and other languages.

At the monastery there was a school in which they taught literacy and Scripture. This school became the reason for the well-known quarrel with the Dome Cathedral about the privilege of teaching, which ended only after a special decision of the Pope. During the Reformation, the brothers-preachers left the monastery and the buildings were used by the city for various purposes, including a school, to accommodate hired Polish troops and an almshouse. However, after the fire of 1531, the buildings of the monastery were no longer used (except for the granary), only its territory was gradually built up with new houses.

In 1525, the Lutheran Reformation took place in the region. The Dominicans were expelled from the city, and their property was confiscated, monastic life within the walls of the monastery ceased. After the fire, the church of St. Catherine was completely burned out. Most of the monastery premises were also damaged by fire, the remains of which dilapidated and collapsed over time.

In 1710, Tallinn became a Russian city, and the life of the Catholic community gradually began to revive, which received official status in 1799. It was on the territory of the former Dominican monastery that the Catholics of Tallinn settled.

Catholic services began to be held in the former refectory of the monastery. Newly arrived Dominicans became priests and administrators in the new Catholic parish, who undividedly carried out pastoral and missionary activities until 1860, when new parishes were opened.

The following premises have been preserved (the list is incomplete): the chapter house, the western part of the church with two portals, the crypt, the scriptorium. The granary, rebuilt after the Reformation into the Arsenal, has also been preserved. The refectory was rebuilt in 1845 into the Catholic Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (Tallinn). What is left of the church is used as a chamber vocal and musical hall, under the supervision of the Hopner House. In Katarina Lane, which was formed only in the 20th century, tombstones of the rich people of the city are fixed on the wall of the church. the oldest plate - 1381, Kunigunda Schottelmund, the wife of Burgomaster Revel.

In the church and the cross passages, tombstones and ethics (stones of the threshold) made of limestone are exhibited.

Modernity of the monastery

Tenants of the preserved and restored buildings of the monastery

Today, the following institutions use the former territory of the monastery:

• "Mauritius Institute", a non-profit enterprise (MTÜ) - the organization provides tours of the ruins. Positions itself as an institute for the study of the life and legacy of the prior / monk Mauritius (Mauritius), presumably a student of Albert the Great. They have 2 websites: mauritanum.eu and claustrum.eu. Previous site: mauritanum.edu.ee
• "Museum of the Dominican Monastery" (est. Dominiiklaste Kloostri Museum) - the organization offers theatrical evening tours of the ruins of the monastery. Website: www.kloostri.ee
• Hopneri Maja has opened St. Catherine's Church and the monastery's cloister since June 2014 to the public, free of charge. Opening hours: 10.00-18.00, Wed-Sun.
• Workshop of the artist Alexander Savchenkov - entrance through the arch from Myyurivyahe Street to the courtyard and to the right into the basement of the monastery.

Other Tenants of the Latin Quarter

• The monastery of St. Catherine of Siena ("Püha Siena Katarina Klooster") - a revived Dominican monastery, which has another Saint Catherine - Siena as its patroness, conducts masses and liturgies in Polish and Estonian, sometimes in Russian. Entrance from the side of Muyrivyakhe street to the left of the arch. At the entrance, the schedule of masses is in the window in 4 languages, including Russian.
• "Guild of Katarina" ("Katarina Gild") is a non-profit partnership of artisans and needleworkers in Katarina Lane.
• "Theatrum", SA - Lembit Peterson's private theater, performs productions and engages in educational activities. It occupies the premises of the former grain barn of the monastery (14 Vene St.). Entrance from the side of the Church of St. Catherine with the inscription "Kloostri Ait". Website: //www.theatrum.ee/

The surviving property of the monastery

Despite the fact that the Dominicans fled the city without waiting for the reprisals of the Lutherans in 1524, the monastery was devastated. However, the buildings remained practically untouched for several years - until the fire of 1531. Two altars from the Church of St. Catherine have survived, they are exhibited in the Museum of Medieval Art (in Nigulista) - this is the altar of the Virgin Mary, made at the expense and commission of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads by the master of the legend of St. Lucia in Bruges, and the altar of the Holy Relatives.

Also in Soviet guidebooks there is information that a number of books from the library of the monastery have been preserved. The small exposition offered by the Mauritius Institute has nothing to do with the monastery, has no historical and artistic value, and is the remains of a Soviet collection of stone-cutting art, valuable objects of which are exhibited in Nigulista. Only the preserved premises have value, which is what the tenants of the monastery buildings use.

In the courtyard of the monastery you can see the Wishing Well - according to legend, every wish made here will come true.

Gallery

south gallery



West gallery openings



Western gallery