Cathedral of St. John. Dubno

One of the interesting and unforgettable monuments of Warsaw - St. Jan's Cathedral, is one of the objects that every guest of the Polish capital should visit. Perhaps, many consider it the main temple of the city.

Curious facts about St. John's Cathedral

St. John's Cathedral in Warsaw was erected on the site of a wooden chapel in the 14th century in the brick Gothic genre. It was built as a place for the coronation and burial of princes. Initially, the cult building was an ordinary church, but over time it gained more and more importance. By the 16th century, St. John's Cathedral became the most important church in the country.

In the 17th century, the Gothic temple changed in the spirit of that time to the Baroque style. Warsaw Cathedral becomes one of the richest Polish religious buildings. And this became possible because the interior design used unique works donated by kings and nobility. For example, the altar was decorated with the painting “Madonna with Saints John the Baptist and Stanislaus” by the artist Giacomo Palma. In the 17th century, the basilica was connected by a corridor with the Royal Castle.

Warsaw Cathedral is a witness to many events like the coronation of King Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1764. Here are buried figures of Polish culture and history - Stefan Wyshinsky (archbishop), Gabriel Narutowicz (the first president of Poland), Mazovian princes, Henryk Sienkiewicz (writer) and many others. Of particular importance is the fact that it was here in May 1791 that the first European Constitution was adopted.

The basilica was significantly damaged already in 1939 from raids, and in 1944 it became the scene of hostilities - German tanks broke into the building twice. After the uprising, it was blown up again, destroying 90% of the buildings. On the wall of the newly built temple, you can see a curious detail - part of the tank caterpillar. This is a reminder of what the religious building had to endure during the war years.

After the war, the original form of the Warsaw church was restored, leaving both the former height of the roof and the shape of the facade. When you come from a crowded noisy street under the vaults of the portal, you find yourself in a completely different Warsaw, it seems that you have fallen into the past. In June 1960, Cardinal Stefan Vyshinsky consecrated the reconstructed church.

What to see in St. John's Cathedral

The attention of tourists is attracted by a beautiful chapel with a breathtaking star-shaped ceiling, a medieval Holy Cross, an unusual figure of Christ with natural hair (given by Yurga Borichko) and an interesting marble sculpture over the tomb of Malakhovsky (work by Thorvaldsen). At the end of the 20th century, the ashes of Stanisław Poniatowski, the last Polish king, were transferred to the church.

Today Warsaw's St. John's Cathedral is an international center for the promotion of sacred organ music, festivals and concerts are held here. Wedding ceremonies are often held in the temple. It is generally accepted that the marriage concluded here is blessed by John the Baptist himself.

St. John's Church is a Gothic church located in Gdansk. One of the most important monuments in the city.

The first mention of a small wooden chapel of St. Nicholas dates back to 1358. In 1360, the construction of a new three-aisled church began on the site of the former one. The work was completed at the beginning of the 15th century, but the builders left room for a tower, which was planned to be built in the future. In 1415 a new altar was created. In 1456, Bishop John MacArthur divided the city into six parishes, St. John's Church became a parish church. In 1465, St. John's Church received the vaults of the stars. In 1543 the bell tower was destroyed by fire.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, patrons financed the construction of a total of 13 altars in the church. In 1612, the most beautiful stone altar by Abraham van der Block was built, which has survived to this day.

During World War II, the church burned down. In the post-war years, St. John's Church was not included in the list of buildings in need of planned reconstruction. Most of the surviving things were transferred to the Church of St. Mary in Gdansk. The reconstruction of the facades of the church began in the late 1960s, inside the church remained in a ruined state.

In 1991, the church was transferred to the Catholic diocese, after which Sunday and holiday services began to be held here. In 1996, a thorough reconstruction of the church began: repair and strengthening of the external walls, internal work, as well as archaeological excavations. In December 2012, baroque epitaphs by Lawrence Fabritius, Johann Hutzing and Ultrich Kantzler returned to their places from St. Mary's.

The center of science and culture, business and industry in Poland is Warsaw, the capital of the state. Warsaw is the largest city in the country in terms of population, the first mention of which dates back to the 14th century. For several centuries, the most beautiful houses, palaces, sculptures and monuments were built in Warsaw, but during World War II, many of them were destroyed. But the city practically rose from the ashes: architects, restorers, builders and sculptors did a great job restoring the city from old photographs, paintings and drawings. Thanks to them, the center of Warsaw, which can be seen now, looks almost identical to how the townspeople saw it in the 16th-17th centuries.

Sightseeing in Warsaw usually begins with the most majestic symbol of historical heritage - the Royal Castle. Next to it is the Old Town, which attracts with its narrow streets and beautiful buildings located around the central Rynok Square. From the Castle Square, the tourist route called the "Royal Route" begins its journey, it stretches through the street. Krakow suburb, st. New World, st. Uyazdovskie Alleys, the Botanical Garden and leads to the most beautiful palace and park ensemble of the city - Lazienki.

The construction of the Royal Castle was carried out on the site of a wooden fortress in 1598-1618, when King Sigismund III Vasa ruled the country. On the square in front of the castle there is a monument in his honor - the column of Sigismund. In 1644 it was installed by the son of Sigismund III, King Vladislav IV. The bronze sculpture, standing on a 30-meter column, depicts a king wearing knightly armor. The king's right hand holds a sword, while the left hand rests on a large cross.

The castle received the status of an official royal residence when it was decided to move the capital of Poland from Krakow to Warsaw, and has witnessed many historical events. It was in the Royal Castle that the Constitution was adopted on May 3, 1791. Since 1918, the Presidents of Poland and temporary heads of state have worked here.

Restoration work of the Royal Castle was carried out on its surviving fragments until 1988. The architectural decoration of the castle is a magnificent clock tower, from which you can hear a melody performed by a trumpeter every day. Fortunately, during the war, many works of art were saved, which are now exhibited in the museum located in the Castle. Here you can see Rembrandt's "Scientist at the music stand" and "Girl in a hat", Jan Matejko's "Stefan Batory near Pskov" and old views of Warsaw performed by the Italian artist Bernardo Bellotto. The Royal Castle also houses an urn with the ashes of Poland's national hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko.

The main Catholic church in Warsaw is located in the Old Town - this is the Church of St. John (John) the Baptist, built in 1390. The church was erected in the brick Gothic style, and the interior decoration at the beginning of the 17th century. was decorated in the Baroque style. The temple was thoroughly destroyed by tanks entering it during the war, so in 1963 it was restored.

In the Church of St. Yana were crowned in 1705 by Stanislav Leshchinsky and in 1764 by Stanislav August Poniatowski. In addition to the ashes of the princes of Mazovia, the Polish writer, Nobel Prize winner in literature Henryk Sienkiewicz, as well as the first President of Poland Gabriel Narutowicz are also buried here. In the Church of St. Piotr Skarga gave his sermons to Yana, General Romuald Traugutt and Tadeusz Kosciuszko prayed here, and in 1935 a memorial service for Marshal Jozef Pilsudski was held here.

Next to the Church of St. Jan there is a Jesuit church, or the Church of the Merciful Mother of God - a temple built in the style of Polish mannerism in 1609-1626. After construction, the church was constantly decorated, inside there was rich baroque furniture and altars made of marble and even silver. However, in 1944 the building was destroyed and restored already in 1950-1973. in the most approximate, but still simplified architectural style. Inside the church are stored: a wooden crucifix of 1383; restored fragments of the monument to Marshal Jan Tarlo; an icon depicting the Grace of God - a gift from Pope Innocent X, made in 1651; stone sculpture depicting a lying bear, mid-18th century. and restored epitaphs by Jan Kilinski, Matej Sarbiewski, Stanislav Konarski and Onufry Kopchinsky.

The center of the Old Town and the heart of Warsaw is Rynok Square, four sides of which are named after politicians of Poland: the northern one is Jan Deckert, the eastern one is Frantisek Bars, the western one is Hugo Callantay, the southern one is Ignacy Zakrzewski. In 1953, a unique reconstruction of Rynok Square was completed, which was carried out according to pre-war images. Many houses on the Market Square have different names (for example, "Under St. Anne", "Under the Basilisk", "Under the Negro") and each of them has its own fascinating legend or history. And the main sights worth visiting in the Market (apart from many souvenir shops and cafes) are the Museum of Literature. A. Mickiewicz, Warsaw Historical Museum and the House of Culture of the Old Town.

Also on Rynok Square is a monument to the Warsaw Mermaid, designed in 1855, which is a symbol of the city and depicted on its coat of arms. On the embankment of the Vistula River there is also a second monument to the mermaid, created in 1939.

Barbican

Warsaw Barbican - a semicircular bastion designed to protect the city - was erected in 1540. It was designed by the architect from Venice, Giovanni Battista. The width of the walls of the barbican was 14 m, and the height was 15 m. Like most other buildings in the Old City, the barbican did not escape destruction during World War II. It was restored in 1952-1954. according to the surviving drawings of the XVII century. In modern Warsaw, the fortress walls and the barbican are a favorite place for tourists, street performers perform here, musicians play and artists put up their canvases for sale.

Krakow suburb

One of the most beautiful streets in Warsaw, where many of the sights of the city are located, is the Krakow Suburb. There is something to see here:

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  The church was built at the Bernardine monastery in 1454, reconstructed in 1946-1962. and is a mixture of different architectural styles: from the late Gothic to the Neo-Renaissance.



The initiator of the construction of the monument was Henryk Sienkiewicz. The monument was erected on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the poet's birth in 1898 with money raised by the poet's compatriots.

• The biggest palace

  

  Warsaw has several names: the Radziwill Palace, the Koniecpolski Palace, the Lubomirski Palace and the Viceroy's Palace. The Presidential Palace was built in the 17th century. and hardly suffered during the war. The palace has a chapel, a winter garden, and various halls: knight's, picture, blue, white, columned, hetman's and rococo halls. On the square in front of the palace there is a monument to Prince Jozef Poniatowski.

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  In the 17th century the building was the summer royal palace, and in 1816 the University of Warsaw was opened here - one of the largest and most prestigious universities in modern Poland.

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  This church with a rococo facade was built in 1728-1765. Now it is in almost unchanged condition and is one of the few sights of Warsaw that survived during the war. In 1825-1826. the great Polish composer Frederic Chopin played the organ in this church, and since 1960 the priest and poet Jan Twardowski has served as rector here.

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  The church was built in the Baroque style in 1679-1696. The relics of St. Felicissima and urns with the hearts of Frederic Chopin and Wladyslaw Reymont, a Polish writer and Nobel Prize winner in literature, are kept here. In front of the basilica is the famous statue of Jesus Christ carrying the cross.

Ujazdowski alleys, along which the most beautiful houses, villas and palaces of Warsaw are located, lead to the famous Lazienki palace and park complex, laid out on 76 hectares of land. Not far from the main entrance to the park rises the Belvedere Palace, which is now one of the residences of the President of Poland. The palace got its name from the Italian expression "belle vedere" - a beautiful view. And the view of the Royal Lazienki is really beautiful and romantic.

The park has been developing in the classical style since the 18th century, when it was acquired by King Stanislav August Poniatowski and began to develop it. The word "lazenki" means "baths, baths", and a bathing pavilion was indeed located in the park. During World War II, many buildings in the park were damaged by fires, but still better preserved than the houses in the Old City. The reconstruction of the buildings ended a few years after the end of the war. The sights of the park include the following buildings: the Palace on the Water, the Roman Theatre, the White House, the Myslevice Palace, the Temple of the Sibyl, the Egyptian Castle, the Watershed, the Old and New Orangeries.

Nowadays, Lazienki Park is a special place where you can walk, breathe fresh air, admire the beauty of nature, listen to birdsong and enjoy the contemplation of beautiful architectural masterpieces.

In historical sources, the first information about the Catholic parish of the city reaches the second half of the 16th century. The center of the parish was the Church of St. Andrew, which was located in the western outskirts of the city area near the Lutsk Gates. This written mention old The church was fixed in 1596.

In 1625, Prince A. Zaslavsky approved the replacement of soil between the church and the Bernardines to build the latter a monastery complex. According to this agreement, the church was moved to the northern part of the city center, where it is located today. Historian V. Gupalo suggests that the church was built in the place where Prince Janusz Ostrozhsky settled the Bernardines who served at the castle chapel.

The history of the parish church is supplemented by the books of his visitations, which are in the Reserve of the city of Dubna. These books contain accounts for 1799, 1810, 1814 and 1816. The first book recorded a document on granting in 1612 by Vladislav-Dominik Zaslavsky the right to provide fish for the duration of the fast of the Dubno pleban. In 1676, Prince Dmitry Koribut Vishnevetsky, Belz voivode, crown hetman, transferred the village of Trostyanets with the village of Ivaninichi to the church. The fundus of Princess Teofil-Ludvika Lubomirskaya, Mstislav hunter Adam Bogdashevsky, commissioner of the Dubno ordination, local government, Lutsk and Dubno Jewish kahals were also recorded. These grants were measured in money (from 3,000 zlotys to 7,000), real estate (estates, land), decrees and all sorts of privileges.

But in the turbulent late Middle Ages, among the natural and human elements, it was almost impossible for a wooden temple to survive.

Only in the last century of existence in a wooden form inIn 1725 the church was destroyed by a strong storm,in 1749 and 1811, the sizzling flames consumed the far church of St. John of Nepomuk entirely, despite the patronage of all the owners of Dubno Ostrozhsky, Zaslavsky, Lubomirsky and the active support of the local flock. After the last fire, all his property was transferred to Bernardine monastery, which became the temporary home of the parish.Divine services of the former farny church were performed there and other rituals were performed. At the time when the temporary church was working, the construction of a more reliable, stone church began. In 1816, a deep foundation was laid, walls up to six cubits were erected, but the unstable political situation in the country suspended construction for almost three decades.

The official completion date for its construction was 1830, when the temple was consecrated.Farni church, built by the local priest Fr. Alois Osinsky.Moreover, the money for the construction was collected by the whole world, including generous donations from the Jewish Kahala of Lutsk and Dubno.

In architectural terms, the church was a three-aisled basilica, built of stone and brick, followed by plastering. It is an original representative of Romanesque architecture with small inclusions of Renaissance elements: an arched niche with a figure of St. John of Nepomuk, a risalit of the central entrance with a broken line of the pediment, a columned portal of the main entrance of the Doric order, a wide frieze framed by profiled cornices, high arches of window openings, blades of side facades , which is complemented by a three-pylon bell tower in the southeast corner of the complex.

The interior of the church, designed in the same restrained style, is distinguished by two Doric colonnades separating the naves, a wooden spiral staircase to the choir stalls, cross-ended side and semi-circular endings on the stripping of the central naves, pilasters of the Tuscan order, unraveled cornices, polished stone floor slabs.

More than half a century later, an inscription in Latin “GLORIA TIBI DOMINE” appeared again on the facade of the far church of John Nepomuk in Dubno, which means “Glory to you, Lord!”.

Three-pylon arched Bell tower on a high plinth of the complex with a torn triangular pediment, the central part of which is decorated with a square superstructure for two bells under a hipped roof with a crowning cross. Of the decorative elements, it is possible to distinguish a three-dimensional geometric pattern of the lower part and a profiled cornice.

During the 19th century, the church of Jan Nepomuk not only regained its former glory as a religious stronghold of Catholicism in the Dubno land (its parish included not only the city community, but also believers from thirty villages of the county), but also turned into a center of mercy and education: it operated a school in which the basics of writing, reading and Christianity were taught, as well as a hospital with a shelter for the infirm operated under his auspices.

Quite interesting from the point of view of history, there is other information that is presented in the visitation books of the far church. For example, the parish of the church included 30 villages of the Dubno district, where most of the Catholics lived in Ditinichi (54 people), Molodavo (44), Mirogoshcha (40), Tarakanov (in the Trokanov document, 34), and fewer (1 person each) in Outgrown, Bushe, Sudobychi. In the inventories of real and movable property belonging to the church of the villages of Sady, Trostyanets, the village of Ivaninichi, the suburb of Zabrama, lists of names of subjects are submitted. Only Ukrainian surnames appear in the villages, and exclusively Polish surnames appear on Yuriditsa (from the rampart to the Ilyinsky Cathedral). A detailed description of lands and hayfields, estates (Trostyanets and Dubensky), livestock, poultry, forests and gardens is also given. A lot of space is devoted to descriptions of the interior and paraphernalia of the church (altar, icons, crosses, tabernacles, clothes of priests, books). In the church books we find the names of the streets of the city of Dubna - Castle, Farskaya, Panskaya, Panenska, Tverdaya, Ladnaya, Chernechchina, Zabrama (literally - Zabrama Lutsk), Bernardinskaya, Surmitska, Surmitsky suburb.

Since 1927, Stanislav Kuzminsky began to perform the duties of a proboscha (priest) in the church of Jan Nepomuk. He coped with extensive plebaniya (service and outbuildings and staff of priests and assistants), combining pastoral service and economic. May 18, 1942, in the nomination of Lutsk Bishop Stanislav Kuzminsky received the degree of infulat of the Olitsk Chapter. This degree provided the priest with a number of privileges that were equated with episcopal ones.It was to this rector of the church of St. John of Nepomuk that the newborn Jewish children of Dubno owed their salvation, since in the terrible years of World War II he saved many of them from the German genocide with a baptismal certificate issued.The Gestapo arrested the probosch, but through the patronage of the Radziwill princes, they released him, setting him under surveillance. In 1944, Kuzminsky was warned about a new arrest. He hastily left Dubno, not risking tempting fate. For special services to his homeland, infulat Kuzminsky was awarded the Order of the White Eagle - an extremely high award in Poland.

According to the "Universal Supplementary Practical Explanatory Dictionary". I. Mostytsky, published in 2005-2012, the phrase "farny church" means a church. parochial, belonging only to the parish, and not to any monastic order, etc. Faroycalled and "coming", So "farny" means "the main church of the parish".

The church bears the name of Jan Nepomuk, who was born approximately between 1340 and 1350 in the settlement of Pomuk (modern Czech Nepomuk), not far from the monastery of the Cistercian order at the Green Mountain hill. In the place where the Church of St. John of Nepomuk is located today, earlier (according to oral sources) there was a house where Jan was born. Jan's father - Velfin - was in the years 1355-1367 the mayor of the settlement of Pomuk, nothing is known about his mother. Jan received his basic education at a school at the church of St. James.

In 1370 he became a notary for the Archbishop of Prague, and in 1380 he was ordained a priest.

After receiving the dignity, he continued his education, studied law, in 1381 received a bachelor's degree in Prague, and in 1387 in Padua - a doctorate.

In 1389 he became a canon of the Vyšehrad chapter and was appointed vicar general of the Archbishopric of Prague.

The Czech king Wenceslas IV (1378-1419) constantly clashed with the highest clergy of the country, defended the priority of secular power and intervened in internal church affairs, considering the Prague archbishopric one of his main opponents in domestic politics.

According to legend, in the very place where the body of the saint plunged into the Vltava, a glow appeared in the form of 5 stars above the water, since then Nepomuk has been depicted with five stars above his head. The place near which Jan was thrown over the railing can be seen on the right hand on the way over the bridge towards Mala Strana, this place is marked by a cross embedded in the railing of the bridge and two copper nails not far from the cross.

The body of St. Jan was removed from the Vltava and subsequently buried in the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague.

In Soviet timesin the premises of the church there was a gym of the local sports school.

In 1990 The building received the status of a monument of architecture. The Roman Catholic parish in Dubno was revived at the beginning. 90s At first, Catholics had the right to worship only on Sundays and holidays, and already in 1991 the church was unofficially returned to believers. Well, in 1994. the city authorities returned the temple to the local Roman Catholic flock.
Judging by the inscriptions on old photographs, the street on which the spruce was called Farnoy.

In 2012, the 400th anniversary of the parish was celebrated here.

St. John's Cathedral was completely destroyed during the war. It was restored in the form in which it was built in the 14th century. It was destroyed by Goliath tanks. More precisely, these were not exactly tanks, but mobile "light charge carriers", as indicated in some German documents. And in Russian and Polish literature, one of the names of this machine is the Goliath tank. In short, this is 75 kilograms of explosives on tracks. Motorcycle motor and remote control (remote at that time, means with a cable). These machines were to be used to destroy enemy fortifications, bunkers, bunkers, as well as against tanks. In Warsaw, "Goliaths" drove into shrines and destroyed them from the inside. How much hatred does one have to have for everything in the world except oneself in order for an adult to be subtly engaged in such things?
The destruction of churches during the revolutionary years in Russia immediately come to mind. But there was something else, there was a war with religion. A group of people did not believe in God, which is nothing reprehensible in a normal secular society. But they forcibly wanted to prohibit all other people from believing, at that time deeply religious. And here, in Poland, Christians seem to be barbarously destroying Christian churches with tanks. Although what to say about the Nazis? On their conscience, millions of human lives in the factories of death. Why should they think about some historical relics? They were going to build a thousand-year Reich. And if it didn’t work out, then burn everything with a blue flame. And these are sober adults?!
So, a piece of the caterpillar of the Goliath tank, which destroyed this temple, was imprinted into the wall of St. John's Cathedral. And in this cathedral in 1791 the constitution was signed. It was the first constitution in Europe and the second in the world, after the US constitution. Many bishops and archbishops are buried in this cathedral, the last Polish king August Poniatowski, the writer Henryk Sienkiewicz, who, for his novel about early Christianity “Where are you coming?” in 1905 he was awarded the Nobel Prize.
And in the temple there is a famous crucifix. There was a time when Protestantism was planted in Germany, Catholic relics were destroyed. They just remembered the destruction of churches in Russia by atheists, and the destruction of the temple by mini-tanks, which, in fact, is being discussed. Nothing lasts forever, and the childish desire to break something is even more so! Especially if he didn't do it himself. When will humanity grow out of short pants? And will it grow at all? So, at the time of the destruction of Catholicism, Polish gentry arrived in Nuremberg. They saw a broken crucifix thrown into the street. They assembled this crucifix, folded it, brought it to Warsaw, installed it in St. John's Cathedral. And, according to legend, miracles began. Hair began to grow on the head of the savior. And every year, hair grows exactly one centimeter. A virgin girl cuts this regrown hair with golden scissors. Of course, it is difficult to establish the truth whether these hairs grow back or not. How can you establish a fact if scientists are not allowed to this crucifixion? As well as to many miracles, up to the appearance of the sacred fire in Jerusalem. But all believers believe that hair grows back. That's why they are believers to believe.
This crucifix is ​​located to the left of the altar, behind bars. Around him and near him are hung and lie some gizmos, mostly jewelry, rings, necklaces. These are gifts from parishioners for what came true, for what they asked God near this crucifix.
In the case of crucifixion, the power of faith. Whoever does not come true, naturally, does not bring anything. But according to statistics, someone should definitely succeed, even the wildest dreams. And faith helps a lot. By the way, on our trip we will meet many such sculptures both in churches and near churches. Like, touch the leg or hand of such and such an image, and you will be happy. Moreover, we will meet such sculptures and non-church themes. For example, in Berlin, at the famous fountain, you need to touch the heel of one of the half-naked, but almost naked, bronze figures, and you will have good luck in your travels. And at the same fountain, if you take a goat by the horns, also bronze, which is pastured by another bronze nymph, then everything will be fine with your money, and if it was bad, it will get better. And in Luxembourg, at the monument to the local famous Princess Charlotte, there are always those who want to touch her bronze palm. The local population greatly respected the business acumen of their ruler. It was believed that, figuratively speaking, whatever she touched, everything turns to gold. It is to this palm that leisurely tourists touch, obviously wishing that such an ability would also pass to them. I will definitely mention all this when I talk about other cities.
By the way, in Moscow, in the metro at the Revolution Square station, there are a lot of sculptural compositions made of bronze. One of them depicts a vigilant border guard with a dog. So, they say (when they want to say that there is a legend, they often say “they say”) that if you rub the nose of a bronze dog, then that day you will be lucky. And this dog's nose is constantly rubbed to a shine. Such a funny belief. By the way, I recently came up with a mini-rite for myself: if I visit Revolution Square, I stroke a bronze book that is unfolded on the knee of one of the sculptures.
Now let's get back to the crucifixion in St. John's Cathedral. After all, if God really exists, then this crucifix works as an antenna for transmitting your thoughts, requests, aspirations, it’s easier to say, like a mobile phone, like a Skype program, with which you call God. And if you get through, then this phone becomes a lucky talisman.
So, if you go to St. John's Cathedral, you can go to this crucifix and mentally ask God for something. Only the request must necessarily be intangible. And they say that the wish will come true. I have one cherished desire, but, after thinking, I decided that if it comes true, then the material side will still be present, although it is not the basis of desire. Therefore, I decided not to disturb the crucifixion with thoughts, even a little connected with commercialism. Let him put all his strength to help in the implementation of non-material desires. This is a very rewarding job.
Near the cathedral there is a bell. This bell hung on the bell tower of St. John's Cathedral, but when the Nazis removed the bells, this one fell and broke. The townspeople collected it, glued it together and placed it near the cathedral. And it is believed that the bell also fulfills wishes. More precisely, a desire, if you liked Warsaw and want to come back here someday. You need to take hold of the top of the bell, walk around it and, one day, you will definitely return to Warsaw.
Did you notice the similarities? The crucifix was broken, but it was glued together and preserved; and the bell was broken, but it was also glued together and preserved. It is exactly what decent people have invested their good will into that many millions of people believe, and they expect a miracle precisely from good will and creation.
And, like, a resume. Crucifixes are broken, temples are destroyed. Catholics have crucifixes, we have icons. Icons are stolen and sold so that they play the role of expensive Russian nesting dolls in private collections. And yet, these seemingly inanimate objects and buildings have an undeniable right to life (I did not invent any pun here), because they helped, help, and will help people: to understand themselves, to have precisely intangible desires, and, maybe , Knockin 'on Heaven.