Author: Raminta Mačytė

Those who go to Marijampolė from Kaunas side have noticed a red brick neo-Gothic tower. It is located in the very center of Sasnava. The Church of the Virgin Mary is one of the most decorated sacred buildings in Užnemunė. The building is three naves, the plan is in the form of a Latin cross. The neo-Gothic oak sac with four evangelist barrels, neobaroque hearse, a watery, kun, created by local masters, has artistic value.

This church is the newest church in Marijampolė. It is a small church with walls made from oak boards, roof coated using red tiles. This church can be found in the northern part of Mokolai. This building was a gift from German Chatalics. It was delivered, built and sanctified in 2014.

It was a church without rectory before getting this name. The church was built in 1888 and it was dedicated for Orthodox. This church has anchorages and seven turrets. The bishop of Seinai passed on this church for Marijonai after First World War. Later, the new owners rearranged the buildings to the church and worked there till it was closed. However, the church was turned into a warehouse in the soviet period. What is more, the church was also as a temple of IX Vytautas crew from 1924. The church was completely closed in 1944 and resumed activity just when Lithuania became an independent country. This building was given back in 1989 and renovated. Finally, the church opened the doors for all people in 1990. The church of St. Vincentas Paulietis was the first reconstructed church after becoming an independent country.

Rygiškių Jono gymnasium is the oldest school in Sūduva region providing secondary education. It was established in 1867 and considered to be unique because of its rich history and cherished traditions. Even in 19th century, gymnasium was well known as the heart of Lithuanian language. A number of famous persons with unique achievements in Lithuanian culture, politics and economy graduated from this school. The history of gymnasium reaches 1840 and some years later, the school was reorganized into a gymnasium, which became exclusive as one weekly Lithuanian language class was included into the programme for the first time in Lithuania. After the uprising of 1863, the Russian Tsarist government banned Lithuanian writing and schools but in 1867 in Marijampolė a school was opened where boys were taught Lithuanian language. Later it became a source of Lithuanianism and independence. At first the school operated in a wooden house of Babariskis, a local resident of Marijampolė. In 1870, at the boundary of Degučiai village, a small stone mansion of a new school was built. After seven years, the right side of the building was made longer and as a result the proportions of the mansion became distorted. In a section built later, a gymnastics hall was established and (around 1894) – an Orthodox chapel which was later demolished. In 1957, the construction of a third floor on the old building of the gymnasium began. In 1979, an overhaul of the school and construction of another wing were started. The construction was completed in 1986. 1871 marked the first time when Lithuanian language was spoken in the gymnasium. During a festive event of the end of the school year, Petras Kriaučiūnas read in Lithuanian a poem translated from Polish. This gymnasium was also the school of the author of idea of an ethnic Lithuanian state Jonas Basanavičius, the author of the national anthem Vincas Kudirka, creator of the literary Lithuanian language Jonas Jablonskis. Six Signatories of the Act of Independence of 16 February 1918. Father ofthe Lithuanian aviation General Antanas Gustaitis. President Kazys Grinius. Blessed archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis. Among the graduates of this gymnasium is also creator of the semiotic studies Algis Julius Greimas together with many other men and women notable for their achievements in the field of Lithuanianism, culture, literature, science etc. In 1920, the gymnasium was named after Rygiškių Jonas. This is a pseudonym of linguist Jonas Jablonskis. In the Soviet times, the school was renamed as Jonas Jablonskis High School. After Independence, in 1992 the gymnasium got back the previous name.

The Evangelical Lutheran church was completed in 1841. In the same year the Evangelical Lutheran school started to work by the church, and soon the tower was built. The church was closed in the beginning of the Second World War, later the church’s property was nationalized and it was turned into grain warehouse. Afterwards the church was used as a sport hall, to which the swimming pool was attached. The building was returned to the Evangelical Lutheran parish in 1992.

Drama theatre and its square remind of a difficult history. It was a place where people attended to Lithuanian evenings, watched plays. Later it was closed and opened again in 1956.  The building was liquidated in 1963, so people created the drama theatre of Marijampole in 1988. The theatre was renovated and transferred to city municipality.  Priest Antanas Kazlauskas initiated the building of hall of St. Mykolas parish in 1937. The walls and roof were constructed in 1938 – 1939, installation work inside started in 1940. The building was unfinished because of nationalism in 1940. The drama theatre of Marijampole was founded in 1992 01 15.

Marijonai press and library was built in 1927 and was working till 1940. It had a huge impact in the Lithuanian press evolution. The printing house released 360 publications and had 6 periodic publications (from 1918 to 1940). The library had more than 50 000 volumes (at that time it was the third biggest library in Lithuania). Also, there was a bindery and periodic publications redactions together with printing house. The building was very spacious and modern, with many separated rooms for administration, printing work and even for short breaks. J. Matulaitis was planning to save everything that was written in the Lithuanian language as well as articles about Lithuania from other countries. The printing house of Marijampolės Marijonai and all the publications are the most important and oldest Lithuania heritage. What is more, the printing house had huge impact at interwar time. Without Lithuanian fonts they also had Greek, Hebraic and Russian fonts. The library was closed in 1940, after Soviet Union occupied Lithuania. Now the printing house have Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis pilgrims center, a library which has rare printed fonts. The building was renovated a couple of years ago.

The school in monastery building was opened in 1921. Later, the building was made with three floors and was dedicated for boys' gymnasium and dormitory. The school accepted boys from twelve years old. The school employees’ focus was to accept boys from poor families, in that way many parents could save some money by not paying for their children’s education. The main purpose of the gymnasium was to prepare boys for higher education in the future and acquire new candidates for their congregation. This classical gymnasium was formatting the strong knowledge steps. Despite huge attention to language they also focused on philosophy, physics, math, biology, history, church, drawing and physical education. They also had many different school clubs like literature, society, abstinent, sports and drama. Marijonai gymnasium released many doctors, engineers, lawyers and other specialist at interwar time. Gymnasium was closed in 1940. The school was revived in 1997, after Lithuania became an independent country. Later, in 2008 the school was named as a gymnasium.

The name of the city of Marijampolė has its origins in the Marian monks – it is the city of Marians, city of Maria. The first monks who settled in our city were Adalbertas Strachas and Hiacintas Vasiliauskas. The primary goals of the Marians back then were helping bishops in their parishes, praying for the dying ones and developing educational activities. Immediately after settling, the monks founded a primary school, they also helped the neighbouring bishops in carrying out missions and recollections.  After the 1863 uprising, the Tsarist government of Russia condemned the Marian monastery to extinction. Many monasteries were destroyed, and the Marians were left with only one monastery – that of Marijampolė, but only until the last Marian monk passed away. No new novices were allowed.  In 1909, in the city of Warsaw, bishop Jurgis Matulaitis secretly gave the Marian vows in witness of the last Marian monk alive, bishop Vincentas Senkus. Before long, more Marian candidates emerged.  After Lithuania regained independence in 1918, Marijampolė became the centre of the Marian monkhood. In the Interwar period, more than one hundred monks lived and worked here. In 1922, the monastery gained its current look after construction of a gallery connecting the second floor with the churchyard. One year later the Marian Gymnasium was built. This place was the home to one of the largest libraries in the country, which had around 50,000 books. The Marians had a publishing and printing house, wood workshop, orangery and great garden.  The first and second Soviet occupations ceased the Marian work. The Soviet government of Lithuania closed all monasteries and expropriated their property. The Marian monks had to live and work scattered until Independence.  Currently the Marian fathers and brothers of Marijampolė not only serve the God and Church, but also take care of the monastery’s heritage and tries to make it accessible for as many Lithuanian and foreign pilgrims as possible.

The Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel in Marijampolė is one of the most important churches in the diocese of Vilkaviškis. Pilgrims from Lithuania and neighbouring countries come here to pray at the tomb of the blessed archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis. In 1750, Pranciška Butlerienė, the elder of Prienai, invited the Marian priests of the Blessed Virgin Mary‘s Immaculate Conception Monastery, who started to build a church and monastery at the confluence of the Šešupė and Javonis rivers. Eight years later a wooden Church of the Holy Cross was consecrated. In 1809, the church burned down in a fire. Construction of a new stone church took a while. It was consecrated only fifteen years later and was named after Saint Michael the Archangel. In the XIX century and at the beginning of the XX century the church was several times expanded and decorated. It has Neo-Baroque features, a ground plan in the form of Latin Cross, and two towers with an apse. In 1934, the remains of archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis were brought from the Kaunas Cathedral and buried in the Chapel of the Holy Heart of Jesus. In 1987, after the archbishop was proclaimed a Blessed, an altar was built and named after Him. The relics of the Blessed one was relocated thereto. And the chapel was named after the Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis. Another chapel, that of St. Anne’s, is the resting place of the remains of Vilkaviškis diocese bishop Antanas Karosas. In the churchyard, there are graves of the Marian monks and of the 1831 uprising participants. The church has a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child, which was famous for its miracles. It is one of the biggest sacred values of the diocese of Vilkaviškis. In 1992, the church was titled a small basilica.