THE ARCHITECTURE OF SAMOGITIAN WOODEN CHURCHES

 

Wooden period should be distinguished in the history of Samogitian wooden churches from oldest times to 1918:

1. The 15th century - the middle of the 17th century - a period of Catholicism, selection and mastering of compositional principles and techniques of sacred buildings;

2. The middle of the 17th century - 1795 - a period of flourishing of Catholicism and sacred architecture;

3. 1795 - 1918 a period of oppression of Catholicism, stabilization of traditional solutions of sacred architecture, spreading of compositional principles and techniques of professional architecture.

 

• The Samogitians were christened in 1414. As early as in 1416 Vytautas Magnus initiated the construction of the first eight churches. Up to the 18th century the work was slow: in the second half of the 16th century the development of sacred architecture was hindered by Protestantism and in the 17th century - by the wars with Moscow and Sweden.

• The historical documents testify that the Samogitian wooden churches were rectangular, with two small towers on the roofs and a sacristy on the right side. The churches inside space was divided only by a beam with a crucifix.

• In the third decade of the 17th century, sacred buildings with cross-shaped layout and small towers on high roofs were started to be built. The towers were often painted in red, green or white. The interior walls and ceiling were painted in several colors and sometimes decorated with paintings.

• Sumptuous and colorful liturgical objects - altars, pulpits etc. - stood put prominently against the background of simple interior architecture. No wooden churches survived from the 17th century.

• Construction of sacred buildings became more intense in the 18th century, particularly towards its end. Traditions that had formed over ages were developed in the church architecture of that time; at the same time it reflected the material culture and aesthetics of its epoch. The influence of the Baroque is observed in the composition of raced buildings of the 18th century. Its manifestation were indirect - by using individual forms of the style in folk churches - and direct - by employing principles of the Baroque composition in wooden churches.

• The layouts of the churches remained rectangular and cross-shaped, but the latter had markedly increased in number. There also appeared churches with polygonal and triangular layouts. The space of many churches that are rectangular in plan is compact and without aisles. Buildings with the larger nave space and a narrow presbytery are fewer. The nave part of such churches was continuous or three-aisled, hall-type or pseudobasilica-type.

• The polygonal churches mostly composed of the main body with a prolonged octagonal layout and two lower annexes added to it. The exterior of the churches was simple, harmonious and monumental. A high gable or hipped roof one or two graceful Baroque-style towers prevailed. Heavy proportions were characteristic of the facades, i.e. the ratio between the height and width was 1 : 1.35-2.08. Quite frequently, however, this ratio was about 1 : 1.6, which corresponded to the "gold section" proportion. The forms of the facades were simple, almost without decor.

• Rich interior formed a contrast to the simple exterior of the churches. A wide and high space of the nave and the presbytery dominated the three-aisle churches, divided only by a beam with a crucifix and sculptures of the saints. On both sods of the presbytery there were empires. Sometimes galleries were equipped along the church by the walls. In the 18th century the walls and the ceilings of the churches were abundantly decorated with colpurful paintings, which did not survive.

• The great altar was the central place of the interior. Its reticular was usually very sumptuous, executed in the style of the Baroque or rococo. The spreading of illusory painted altars started in the 18th century.

• The majority of the 18th century churches that reached our times have been altered considerably. The most beautiful and least-altered ones are the churches of Plateliai (1744), Berzoras (1746), Lauksodis (1751), Pikeliai (1752), Deguciai (1757), Saukotas (1773), Lioliai (1768), Veivirzenai (1769) and Seda (1770).

• In second half of the 18th century, wooden churches designed according to the baroque compositional principles were built. They are tower less (I1 Gesu type), Alsedziai church built in 1793, or two-towered, St. Joseph's church in Kedainiai (1766) and Smilgiai curch (1764). The facades of these churches are flat, straight lined, not detailed. Only the tin-covered heads of towers are plastic and finely modelled, just as in brick buildings.

• After the third division of the United Republic, which took place in 1795, Samogitia was annexed to Russia and the process of church construction slowed-down. It was only at the end of the 19th century-the beginning of the 20th century that the number of newly-built churches increased. Just as in earlier times, both folk-style and professionally-designed churches were built. The stylistic forms became more varied in the folk churches. The evoliution of these forms depended on the time of construction and the style prevailing in brick architecture. The churches of Staciunai (1811), Upyna (1807), Tubiniai (1824), Pavandene (1802), Vidukle (1806), and Skaudvile (1797) are decorated with classicist forms: order elements, sand rack etc., while the main facade of Siaudine church (1773) has a transformed portico.

• The architecture of Samogitian wooden churches of the period between 1830 and the end of the eight decade of the 19th century reflects the trends of romanticism. Combinations of forms of different styles in the facades and interiors are characteristic of such buildings. Pointed-arch windows became very popular in the folk style churches. They were used in Pusalotas (1853), Kantauciai (1852), Radviliskis (1870) and other churches of traditional layout and volume. The main facades of the churches directly influenced by romanticism have modified porticos and pointed-arch windows are used in the lateral facades. Such are the churches of Paberze (1859), Ubiske (1851), and Karklenai (1871).

• The histories, which spread at the end of the 19th century-the beginning of the 20th century, brought all the past styles to architecture: they were used in the buildings separately or were mixed.

• Wooden sacred buildings indirectly influenced by the noestyles retained the traditional layout, volume, and simplicity of exterior. The most beautiful folk-style churches built or rebuilt at that time include the churches of Vaiguva (1877), Kalnalis (1883), Gintaliske (1896), Erzvilkas (begin of the 20th c.), Ukriniai (1913) etc.

• The architects of the wooden churches in which direct influence of histories is seen have moved away from traditional solutions, imitating the brick examples of the stylistic direction selected. Wooden neogothic churches are often two-towered. The towers at the corners of the main facade have pointed tops. The walls are divided by Vieksnaliai (1912), Medingenai (1902), Zarenai (1912). Single-towered neogothic churches are fewer (Stalgenai church built in 1918).

• Professionally-designed wooden churches to the neogothic style are found in Raudenai (1881), Budriai (1903), Mikoliskiai (1911). The sources of their architectural solutions lie in wooden secular buildings fo the end of the 19th century-the beginning of the 20th century, to be more exact, in the resort buildings.

• Wooden sacred architecture of the epoch of historism embraces also other stylistic directions, namely, those of neobaroque (Kartena church built in 1783 and Tverai church built in 1897), neoclassicism (Klykoliai church, 1881; Stakiai church, 1875) and eclectism (Laukzeme church). Along with the new styles, neogothic and folk architectural forms were in the facades and interiors of churches.

• After 1918, wooden churches became fewer and their solutions were far from traditional principles of composition. These newly built churches were works of professional architects.

• The material about the architecture of Samogitian wooden churches presented in the book allows to summarize the most characteristic features of its development in the following way:

 

1. The first Samogitian churches are closely related to the wooden sacred buildings of the Minor Poland, the design of which follows the model of small wooden gothic churches.

2. Traditional solutions employed in folk-style sacred architecture all over the history of its development reflected in an indirect way, the style of the corresponding epoch.

3. A rectangular or a cross-shaped building represents a stereotype of a Samogitian folk-style church, which formed in the second half of the 18th century. A high roof with small plastic towers dominates the exterior of the church. Sumptuous interior forms a contrast to the simplicity of the facade. Baroque-style liturgical objects stand out in the interior of a single-nave space (hall or pseudobasilica).

4. Similar folk-style churches are encountered in many regions of the United Republic, however, traditional sacred buildings of Samogitia have their own peculiarities, namely, markedly monumental appearance, heavy proportions, sumptuous but not overloaded decor of the interior. A gradual loss of these peculiarities is observed from the beginning of the 19th century.

5. Churches were started to be designed according to the principles of specific styles in the second half of the 18th century and were widespread at the beginning of the 19th century.

Prepared by Alge Jankeviciene

© Samogitian Cultural Association Editorial  Board, 1998-2000 Page updated 2003.05.15 . Comments to: samogit@delfi.lt