- Bernardine Cemetery
The Bernardine Cemetery ( _lt. Bernardinų kapinės, _pl. cmentarz Bernardyński)) is one of the three oldest cemeteries in
Vilnius ,Lithuania . It covers about 38,000 square metres and has estimated 14,000 burials. It was established in 1810 byBernardine monks of the Church of St. Francis of Asisi and is situated on an embankment on theVilnia river , just east of the city center in theUžupis district. It was established when Tsarist authorities of theRussian Empire prohibited to bury the dead near churches. Residents of Vilnius moved the cemetery what was then outskirts of the city.In the east and west the cemetery was surrounded by
columbarium s. The cemetery was expanded in 1860. After World War II the cemetery was abandoned and started deteriorating. It was closed in the 1970s and since then remained almost unchanged. Many of the oldest graves are sinking into the ground and covered inmoss . Eastern columbarium is almost entirely gone. Some restoration and reconstruction of its buildings and monuments, including western columbarium, began in the late 1990s. It is a joint Lithuanian and Polish effort.Famous graves
Numerous famous scientists, painters and
Vilnius University , intellectuals, professors and other renowned people are buried there including:*
Stanisław Bonifacy Jundziłł (1761–1847), botanist and florist, professor of the Vilnius University and head of theVilnius Botanical Garden
*Stanisław Fleury 1861-1915 m.), artist and photogropher.
*Vytautas Kairiūkštis (1890–1961), Lithuanian painter
*Kazimieras Kairiūkštis (1886–1918), engineer
*Antanas Ramonas (1946–1993), writer
*Stanisław Rosołowski (1797–1855), writer and doctor
*Ludwik Sobolewski (1791–1830), writer and historian, prefect of the Vilnius University Library
*Józef Szeliga-Bieliński (1848–1926), physician and historian, the first honorary professor of the Stefan Batory University
* Geleda Dzeržinskaja, (1849-1896 m.)Felix Dzerzhinsky 's mother.
* Valdas Herkus Neimantas (1963–2006) - the main designer ofUžupis Republic rests in peace in cemetery columbarium.See also
*
Rasos Cemetery
*Antakalnis Cemetery
*List of cemeteries References
* cite book | first=Bronius |last=Kviklys |title= Lietuvos bažnyčios. V tomas: Vilniaus arkiviskupija, I dalis | year=1985 |publisher= Lithuanian Library Press |location=Chicago, Illinois |pages=414 |isbn=0-932042-54-6
*External links
* [http://www.radzima.org/pub/pomnik.php?lang=en&nazva_id=vlvlviln44 Series of photos of the cemetery]
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