Lithuanian Jesuit Bricklayers of the Provinces: The Generation of Stanisław Bohdziewicz

Straipsnio objektas: Lietuvos jėzuitų provincijos mūrininkai. Tikslas: atskleisti Lietuvos jėzuitų provincijos pirmosios mūrininkų kartos ir jėzuito mūrininko Stanisławo Bohdziewicziaus veiklą (1608–1678 m.). Pasirėmus jėzuitų archyviniais šaltiniais, naudojant chronologinį lyginamąjį metodą aiškinamasi, kokius statybos darbus galėjo ir gebėjo atlikti aukštojo mokslo neišėjęs jėzuitas brolis mūrininkas. Publikuojamas jėzuito S. Bohdziewicziaus nekrologo tekstas, kuris kaip amatininko dvasinio gyvenimo šaltinis, gali būti įdomus menotyrininkams, istorikams ir kultūrologams, tyrinėjantiems Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės vienuolynų kultūrą, architektų bei amatininkų gyvenimą ir veiklą.This article attempts to reveal the activities of Stanisław Bohdziewicz, a Jesuit bricklayer from the first generation of Jesuit bricklayers from the Lithuanian provinces. With the help of Jesuit archival sources, and using a chronological comparative method, the kind of construction work a Jesuit bricklayer who had not finished his education could have and was able to perform is examined. Jesuit Stanisław Bohdziewicz’s obituary text (which is preserved in the Jesuits central archives in Rome) is provided, which as a source for the spiritual life of a craftsman, may be of interest to art researchers, historians, and cultural specialists, who carry out research on the monastic culture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as the life and activities of architects and artisans. Obituaries as official documents of the Society of Jesus show that a Jesuit bricklayer’s name is not lost in the margins of history, and that the work of this artisan was known to other members of the monastery, and no one ever considered them to be anonymous. The heartfelt life description supplements data found in Jesuit catalogues, and help to become better acquainted with the environment of a Jesuit of a lower status, a construction worker of Jesuit churches in Lithuania, and the work and everyday home environment of the Kražiai Collegium. In addition, this description reveals the character traits of a monk artisan, the deep devotion, and cultivated ascetic modesty and poverty. The analysis of the work of Stanisław Bohdziewicz reveals that in the 17th century as the construction of the Lithuanian Jesuit provinces grew, the needed profession of a bricklayer was understood more widely than just simply bricklaying work