Dominican Monastery of St. Catharine(now - Latin Quarter) is the oldest Catholic monastery in Estonia. It was founded in the 13th century by the Order of Friars Preachers in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria on the territory of what is now the Lower Town of Tallinn (Revel). The ruins of the monastery are located today between Vene (Russkaya), Munga and Myyrivähe 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 Theodoric of Estonia, as well as two other bishops. Following them, the Dominicans appeared here in 1229, who founded a monastery first in Vyshgorod. Due to infighting between Danish and German knights, the Dominicans had to leave this place.

In 1246, the preaching brothers returned to Vyshgorod, and in 1260 they moved to the Lower Town, 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 as a convention - its main premises formed a closed rectangular courtyard with an internal gallery around the perimeter: in the south - a church, in the north - a refectory, in the west - a dormitory, in the east - a chapter.

The Dominican monastery developed together with other monasteries that later appeared in Tallinn and, in general, with church life that could develop in the center of the diocese (Northern Estonia was part of it), which Tallinn became. The cathedral, which was previously founded by Dominican monks, was completed, and it became the residence of the bishop. Today this cathedral, known as the Dome, 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 by people from the local population, and the monastery gradually became the center of Estonian culture, enriching Estonian literature with translations from Latin and other languages.

There was a school at the monastery where they taught literacy and Scripture. This school became the reason for a well-known dispute with the Dome Cathedral about the privilege of teaching, which ended only after a special decision of the Pope. During the Reformation, the preaching brothers left the monastery and the buildings were used by the city for various purposes, including a school, housing mercenary Polish troops and as an almshouse. However, after the fire of 1531, the buildings of the monastery were no longer used (except for the barn), only its territory was gradually built up with new houses.

In 1525, the Lutheran Reformation was carried out in the region. The Dominicans were expelled from the city, their property was confiscated, and 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 the fire, the remains of which deteriorated and collapsed over time.

In 1710, Tallinn became a Russian city, and the life of the Catholic community, which received official status in 1799, gradually began to revive. 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 at the new Catholic parish, and they carried out undivided pastoral and missionary activities until 1860, when new parishes were opened.

The following premises have been preserved (the list is incomplete): chapter house, western part of the church with two portals, crypt, scriptorium. Also preserved is the barn, rebuilt after the Reformation into the Arsenal. The refectory was rebuilt in 1845 into the Catholic Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (Tallinn). What remains of the church is used as a chamber vocal and music hall, under the supervision of the Hopner House. In Katharina Lane, which was formed only in the 20th century, tombstones of the city's rich people are fixed on the church wall. the oldest slab is from 1381, of Cunegonde Schottelmund, wife of Burgomaster Revel.

Limestone gravestones and ethics (footstep stones) are displayed in the church and cross passages.

Modernity of the monastery

Tenants of the preserved and restored monastery buildings

Today the former territory of the monastery is used by the following institutions:

• "Mauritius Institute", a non-profit enterprise (MTÜ) - organization conducts tours of the ruins. Positions itself as an institute for the study of the life and legacy of the prior/monk of Mauritius (Mauritius), presumably a student of Albertus Magnus. They have 2 websites: mauritanum.eu and claustrum.eu. Previous website: 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
• The organization "House of Hopneri" ("Hopneri Maja") has opened the Church of St. Catherine and the cloister of the monastery since June 2014 to the public, free of charge. Opening hours: 10.00-18.00, Wed-Sun.
• The studio of the artist Alexander Savchenkov - the entrance through the arch from Myyurivyakhe Street into the courtyard and to the right into the basement of the monastery.

Other tenants in the Latin Quarter

• The Monastery of St. Catherine of Siena (“Püha Siena Katarina Klooster”) - a revived Dominican monastery, which has another St. Catherine of Siena as its patron, conducts masses and liturgies in Polish and Estonian, sometimes in Russian. The entrance is from Myirivähe Street to the left of the arch. At the entrance there is a schedule of masses in the window in 4 languages, including Russian.
• "Katarina Guild" is a non-profit association of artisans and handicraftsmen in Katarina Lane.
• "Theatrum", SA - Lembit Peterson's private theater, produces productions and is engaged in educational activities. Occupies the premises of the former grain barn of the monastery (14 Vene St.). Entrance from St. Catherine's Church 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 reprisal of the Lutherans in 1524, the monastery was destroyed. However, the buildings remained virtually untouched for several years - until the fire of 1531. Two altars from the Church of St. Catherine have been preserved; they are exhibited in the Museum of Medieval Art (in Nigulist) - this is the altar of the Virgin Mary, made at the expense and by order of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads by the master of the legend of St. Lucia in Bruges, and the altar of the Holy Family.

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



Openings of the western gallery



Western gallery

The monastery complex, located at the intersection of Jalovcova (Junior), Husova (Jana Husa), Jilská (Ilya) and the famous Zlatá streets, is today one of the centers of cultural and spiritual life in 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 fellow countryman Giovanni Domenico Orsi. The final stage of construction occurred 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 close proximity to 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 north-eastern part, where a third floor has been added.

Among the relatively simple Baroque facades of the monastery, it is worth highlighting the early Baroque portal on Mozhzhevelnikovaya 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. Thus, on the ground floor of the building you can see vaults in the early Baroque and Gothic styles, arched passages and staircases from the Renaissance. Particularly noteworthy are the monastery refectory with stucco and painted ceiling, as well as the library with equally impressive stucco decoration and baroque bookcases.

Baroque refectory

The luxurious Baroque refectory was created at the end of the 17th century as the main premises of the Dominican monastery and the Czech Dominican order as a whole. The rich stucco decoration of the walls and arches complements about fifty paintings, divided into several themes of varying content and format. The dominant feature of the hall is a monumental arch depicting the wedding scene at Cana, namely the moment when servants bring in jugs of water, which the Virgin Mary must turn into wine. Nearby there are paintings depicting St. Elijah and St. Dominic, patron of the church and founder of the Dominican Order. Niches on the side walls are occupied by a series of eighteen portraits of saints whose mission was to extol the spiritual significance of the order: Thomas Aquinas, St. Vincent Firerra, St. Catherine of Siena and others. The themes of the remaining paintings are related to biblical parables and quotes. Today, the renovated refectory space 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. It was once occupied by the Utraquists, then by the Hussites, and in 1626 the church came 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 several days in the monastery hotel. Simple 1,2,3,5-bed rooms are equipped with the necessary furniture, a modern bathroom, a shared kitchen and free wi-fi. The cost of living is between 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 Czech director Milos Forman.

Dominican monastery in 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.

The Dominican monastery in Tallinn was founded by monks of the Dominican order who arrived in Tallinn in 1229. Initially, the monastery was built in the Old Town of Tallinn, but due to infighting between Danish and German knights, the Dominicans had to leave this place. In 1260, the monks moved to the Lower City. Here they built the Church of St. Catherine, around which a monastery soon arose. The Gothic-style monastery was built like a convention; its main premises formed a closed rectangular courtyard with an internal gallery along the perimeter. 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, and barns. From the first years of the monastery’s existence, there was a school for Estonian children. At the peak of its heyday, the monastery was also famous for its brewery and hospital, and for the right to be buried within the monastery walls after death, rich townspeople inherited part of their fortune to the monastery. Monastic life within the walls of the monastery ceased in 1525. During the Lutheran Reformation, Dominican monks were expelled from the city for their loyal attitude to the power of the Pope, and their property was confiscated. The monastery buildings became the property of the city, and the church was transferred to the Estonian parish. In 1531, a strong fire almost completely destroyed the Church of St. Catherine; most of the monastery premises were also damaged by the fire, the remains of which deteriorated and collapsed over time. In the 18th century, the life of the Catholic community began to revive in Tallinn; in 1799, the northern wing of the monastery came into the possession of the Catholic Church. On the site of the former refectory, a new neo-Gothic church of Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1844; the former living quarters, church, garden, and refectory of the Dominican monastery were restored in 1924 and opened to visitors. 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 south-eastern tower, as well as fragments of the northern wall and the Church of St. Catherine have survived to this day. The restored premises house the Museum of the Dominican Monastery; in the summer, concerts and theatrical performances are held in the courtyard. There are also excursions here, during which a “Dominican monk” meets visitors and, handing them a torch, leads them through the labyrinths of the monastery to the sounds of Gregorian chants. Here you can climb the tower, mint a coin for good luck, leaf through ancient books in the library by candlelight, try the monastery liquor and tell about your dream to the Wishing Well, located in the monastery courtyard. According to an ancient legend, the wish will definitely come true.

Dominican Monastery in Tallinn (Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine) Dominikaani Vendade Ordu Klooster Tallinnas Address: Müürivahe 33-11, 10140 Tallinn, Estonia Tel: +372 53334341; +372 6464219 Email: [email protected] Web: kloostri.ee	How to get there: Tallinn International Airport - 5 km Tallinn Train Station - 1.1 km Viru tram and bus stops - 350 m	Validity: constantly Operating mode: Museum of the Dominican Monastery: From May 15 to September 30: Monday - Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00 Visiting the museum in the evening and in winter - by appointment Price: 3 EUR / 1 person Adults: Entrance to the territory of the Dominican monastery - 3 EURO Museum of the Dominican Monastery - 8 EURO

(1349)

(text by Elena Bobrova)

The complex of buildings remaining from the Dominican monastery in Tallinn is located between Myyurivahe 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 across Europe in twos, 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 due to disagreements with the German knights. In 1246, the Dominicans returned to Tallinn and received the right to found a new monastery in the city dedicated to St. Catherine - the first monastery in the Lower Town.

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, and 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 lay brothers), 9, 10, 11 - cloister (monastery crusade),
12 - inner courtyard (inner courtyard), 13 - well (well), 14 - granary (barn).
The only thing that is inaccurate in this diagram: under the bedroom (dormitory) there is still a chapter hall.

From the first years of the monastery's existence, there was a school for Estonian children. 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 monks' loyal attitude to the power of the Pope made them enemies of the Protestants. The Dominican monastery in Tallinn was destroyed on September 15, 1524 - the buildings became the property of the city school, and the church was given 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 came 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 visitors. 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 south-eastern tower, as well as fragments of the northern wall and the Church of St. Catherine have survived to this day.

Fragment of the portal of the Church of St. Catherine (1), which can be seen in 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 monastery 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 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. The left one is this staircase leading down; The central one leads to a covered gallery (it’s the same “Jester” hanging next to it - see photo), but we will go to the right one and find ourselves in the library. Above the bookshelves hang two bas-reliefs, which depict portraits of the very two Dominicans who were the first to reach Tallinn and founded a monastery here.

"Jester's Head", relief from 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 enter the door leading to the chapterhouse. Two chairs are placed in the middle of the hall so that visitors can experience the effects of the energy column. I admit, I didn't feel anything. In the corners of the room, near the walls, there are various examples of stone-cutting art, and the vault of the hall, although low, is Gothic. After looking around, we head up the stone stairs, illuminated only by candles, to the bedroom. Now through the central door we will go out into the covered gallery. It also displays 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 into the courtyard, but now the stairs have been blocked. Opposite the window is the entrance to the monastery chapel. It is also used to display stone-cutting art. This is where our tour ends, because there is nothing else to see in this museum. Going down to the street, you can also go through a beautiful door and end up in the artist’s store.

The Latin Quarter, located in Tallinn's Lower Town, between Myirivähe, Vene and Munga streets, is of great interest to guests of the Estonian capital. Its main attraction is the ruins of the oldest Catholic Dominican monastery in Estonia, dedicated to St. Catherine. The Latin Quarter was built in the 13th century by representatives of the monastic Order of Friars and Preachers. In this case, the principle of the convention was used: the line of key rooms formed a closed patio, while on the south side there was a temple, on the east there was a chapter house (ecclesiastical court building), on the west there was a dormitory (monastic cells), on the north there was a refectory (refectory).

From its foundation until 1525, the monastery was the center of Estonian culture. However, during the Reformation, Catholic monks were expelled from Tallinn, and the Church of St. Catherine completely burned down. It was only in 1799 that Catholic life in the Estonian capital began to revive.

Until now, the following premises of the monastery have been preserved: scriptorium (workshop for copying manuscripts), chapter, western zone of the temple, crypt (underground passage and lower church intended for burial), sacristy. The surviving part of the temple is currently being equipped as a chamber music hall. In the 19th century, the Catholic Peter and Paul Church was organized in the refectory of the monastery. Altars from the burnt church of St. Catherine: the Holy Family and the Virgin Mary have been preserved. Now they are in the Nigulista Museum (Tallinn Lutheran Church of St. Nicholas).

The surviving premises of the Latin Quarter house exhibitions of the Tallinn City Museum. At the entrance to the Dominican monastery, visitors are greeted by a guide who gives each tourist a minted coin with the image of a dog. Then, accompanied by a “monk” with a burning torch, guests of the Latin Quarter explore the mysterious premises of the monastery. On the patio, you can toss a coin into the Wishing Well, where monks used to make liqueur in medieval times. There is a legend that a person who performs this ritual will have his most cherished aspirations come true. Visitors to the monastery can also see the “Mystical Room” with an energy pillar, where Dominican monks once fed their strength.