Regarding the reading of Nikolaj Worobiow's monography "Vilnius art" (Vilniaus menas) and its readers

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama vienos iš legendinių XX a. Lietuvos kultūros istorijos knygų – Mikalojaus Vorobjovo monografijos Vilniaus menas (Kaunas, 1940) – sukūrimo ir skaitymo istoriografinis bei kultūrinis kontekstas. Straipsnis išryškina Vorobjovo pažiūrų, idėjų, darbų krypčių ir rašymo būdų sąsajas su vokiečių, iš dalies ir lenkų menotyros mokyklomis, atskleidžia, kaip talentingo dailės istoriko profesinius interesus ir kai kurias įžvalgas veikė istorinės aplinkybės ir politiniai tikslai.This article discusses one of the most legendary 20th century books on the cultural history of Lithuania - Vilnius Art (Vilniaus menas, Kaunas, 1940), a monograph by Nikolaj Worobiow and the historiographic and cultural context that led to its creation and reception. The book was published under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and was intended to help the citizens of the independent Lithuania to intellectually and emotionally "retrieve" the cultural heritage of the historical capital. The book did not lose its relevance during the Soviet times as it allowed its readers to experience a link with the lost epoch of independence and presented a portrait of a city of ideal beauty. It was for these reasons that Worobiow, who had also written other important texts (for example, monograph M. K. Čiurlionis, der Litauische Maler und Musiker, 1938), was firstly known and estimated as the author of Vilnius Art. The article uncovers the prehistory of Worobiow's acquaintance with Vilnius architecture. Baroque - the most distinct style of Vilnius - was at the centre of Worobiow's professional interest while he was writing the dissertation Die Fensterformen Dominikus Zimmermanns at Munich University. This article discloses the connections between Worobiow's attitudes and ideas, the directions of his works and his approach to writing within the German (firstly, his lecturer and supervisor Wilhelm Pinder), and partly Polish, schools of art studies. It also reveals how the professional interest and some insights of this talented art historian were affected by historical circumstances and political aims. During the years of Nazi occupation, Worobiow nurtured his intentions to publish an improved Vilnius guide book. He also began collecting material for a key work ' an academic study of Vilnius architecture. When preparing his study concerning the work of Johann Cristoph Glaubitz (c. 1700-1767), he attempted to combine his authentic admiration for the talented artist's works with the conjuncture required when searching for German roots in Baltic art and architecture, or more specifically, Lithuanian art and architecture. At the end of this article the conclusion is made that in the present day this book is more illuminating as a mirror of its author and his environment than it is as a "spiritual portrait" of Vilnius. The book Vilnius Art is not only a symbolic retrieval of Vilnius, it is also a work which allowed its readers to sense the European dimension of the interwar Lithuanian culture. The latter was developed and deepened by the colleagues of Worobiow, the art historians and critics Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Halina Kairiūkštytė- Jacinienė, Julija Maceinienė, and the entire pleiad of philosophers and intellectuals of the new generation. It was not only the attraction of an unknown Vilnius, but also the obvious cultural potency of Worobiow's generation, which covered Vilnius Art with a legendary aura. This aura ensured that the book, which was intended for a wide readership, remained relevant for more than half a century. It was a book which promised the ripening of intellectual upheaval