Internet project by R. Rimsha: “Medieval castles of Estonia” - Dominican monastery in Tallinn

"Tallinn and the islands - Muhu and Saaremaa"
...There is a legend that the mother of the founder of the Dominican order - St. Dominic - before the birth of her son, saw in a dream that she would give birth to a black and white dog that would illuminate the world with a torch. Hence the nickname of the Dominicans - “domini canes”, i.e. God's dogs.
...The “monk” guys in brown robes solemnly led us to the anvil, handed us a coin with a hole, and each of us put the coin in a special hole, pressed it with a cast-iron lid and hammered it with a heavy hammer. A dog and an inscription were stamped on the coin, then it was strung on a fuzzy string and hung around our necks. This is a present ticket.
...Finally we enter that same chapter hall. It is dark, light pours from a single small and narrow window, dilapidated stone slabs line the walls, and there is a chair in the center. This is the famous mystical energy room; it is believed that there is an energy column located in the center under the dome.

I'm in and

DOMINIIKLASTE KLOOSTRI & MUSEUM/ DOMINICAN MONASTERY AND MUSEUM

On the second day after a trip to Kadriorg, where we spent half a day, we decided to go to the Dominican monastery. The monastery signboard shows a dog with a burning torch in its mouth. There is a legend that the mother of the founder of the Dominican order, Saint Dominic, before the birth of her son (in 1215), dreamed that she would give birth to a black and white dog that would illuminate the world with a torch. That is why Saint Dominic is often depicted by medieval painters with a torch, accompanied by a dog. Hence the nickname of the Dominicans - "domini canes", i.e. God's dogs. However, there is one trick. The entrance to the monastery museum is from the street. Vene. We bought tickets. And I dreamed of getting into the mysterious monastery itself. After long negotiations with guys dressed as monks, in a mixture of Estonian-Russian-English, it turned out that the entrance we needed was located on st. Müürivahe.

MUSEUM OF THE DOMINICAN MONASTERY(kloostri.ee)

The “monk” guys in brown robes solemnly led us to the anvil, handed us a coin with a hole, and each of us put the coin in a special hole, pressed it with a cast-iron lid and hammered it with a heavy hammer. A dog and an inscription were stamped on the coin, then it was strung on a fuzzy string and hung around our necks. This is a present ticket. Very good.

The museum itself is an open courtyard, where wild grapes crawl along the gray stone walls and two echoing dark high-vaulted galleries, at the end of which the doorways are walled up, candles are burning in bowls and a recording of a male choir is turned on. Inside the courtyard there is a green area with narrow benches (apparently, concerts are held here), and a large stone ancient well. Previously, the well was clean and the monks brewed beer in it, but now tourists throw coins at the bottom and make wishes, this is a “wishing well.” Here we took some wonderful photos in retro camera mode. When they were leaving, two young Estonian women came, sat on a bench and began to sing. They had wonderful operatic voices and we experienced fantastic sensations surrounded by medieval walls.

DOMINICAN MONASTERY(mauritanum.eu)

Login to Kloostri itself, i.e. monastery, you need st. Müürivahe, we dived into Katarina Lane and went out onto it (Katarina Lane is a crossbar in the letter “H” between two parallel streets - Vene And Müürivahe).

We bought tickets. We climbed a narrow stone staircase and found ourselves in a poorly lit room. There were no people, a slightly strange woman came out to us and took us to the library. In general, from that moment a strange movie began: a dark long library, shadows from a candle on the table are dancing on the wall, two dark portraits at the top, this “Mon Dominic sent two people to all corners of the world, and these two came to Tallinn and founded a Dominican monastery here”- a strange woman tells us.

Then we hear something like: “now go down into the dungeon, don’t be afraid, everything is possible, sit in the capitular hall on a chair, you can’t spend more than 2 minutes, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to take a picture of anything.”. Then she showed us two photographs: on one, some white shadows hovered over a group of tourists, on the other, for some reason, it seemed like an overexposed image of the mysterious chapter hall, where I so dreamed of going. We got excited, finally got up and followed the arrows on the floor to the stairs down.

First we find ourselves in a certain basement with bookshelves, medieval spiritualist books open on two tables.

I take pictures, but the camera freezes... Then my materialistic-minded husband explained to me that it’s just that the camera’s night mode takes time to set up. Okay, I’ll pretend that I believed it. Finally we enter the same chapter hall.

It is dark, light pours from a single small and narrow window, dilapidated stone slabs line the walls, and there is a chair in the center. This is famous mystical energy room, it is believed that there is an energy column located in the center under the dome. Here, in the Middle Ages, Dominican monks fed their physical and mental strength, exhausted by fasting. The sensations are very strong, I stay there for a little over 2 minutes, but then a clear understanding comes that everything is enough. The camera, by the way, barely takes photographs. Night mode, of course...

We obviously end up in the dormitory, or former monks' bedrooms.
For some reason I remember my favorite childhood book, “The Last Carolingians,” by A. Govorov. On the wall we look at a fragment of a very interesting ancient stone fresco: it is called neutrally “Fool’shead”, i.e. “The head of a jester,” but it depicts a strange unearthly man with two horns. The materialistic husband has no shadow of doubt, despite the webbed ears of this strange creature.


(c) photo from the Internet

Then we find ourselves in a stone gallery, from where we can see the courtyard of the museum, where we had just visited and from where a strange woman, through a glazed arch, photographed strange shadows. The materialist husband happily debunks this myth too - he is sure (he personally took a test photo) that this is the reflection of a flash in the glass. Well, again I’ll have to pretend that I believed...

The monastery complex, located at the intersection of Jalovcova (Junior), Husova (Jana Husa), Jilská (Ilya) and the famous Zlatá streets, is today one of the centers of cultural and spiritual life in the capital.

Architecture

The construction of the Baroque monastery, begun in 1663, was carried out by the outstanding Italian architect Carlo Lurago, who was later replaced by his fellow countryman Giovanni Domenico Orsi. The final stage construction dates back to the beginning of the 18th century, although later minor changes were made to the exterior and interior, and Northern part complex - adjusted in the first half of the 19th century.

Spatially, the Dominican monastery occupies an elongated trapezoidal area in close proximity to the Church of St. Ilya. The building, with a large courtyard divided into two parts by a transverse wing, reaches a height of two floors, with the exception of the north-eastern part, where a third floor has been added.

Among the relatively simple Baroque facades of the monastery, it is worth highlighting the early Baroque portal on Mozhzhevelnikovaya Street, historical interpretations on Jan Hus Street and the entrance portals of the first half of the 19th century on Ilya Street.

The interior of the monastery also retained Baroque features. Thus, on the ground floor of the building you can see vaults in the early Baroque and Gothic styles, arched passages and staircases from the Renaissance. Particularly noteworthy are the monastery refectory with stucco and painted ceiling, as well as the library with equally impressive stucco decoration and baroque bookcases.

Baroque refectory

The luxurious Baroque refectory was created at the end of the 17th century as the main premises of the Dominican monastery and the Czech Dominican order as a whole. The rich stucco decoration of the walls and arches complements about fifty paintings, divided into several themes of varying content and format. The dominant feature of the hall is a monumental arch depicting the wedding scene at Cana, namely the moment when servants bring in jugs of water, which the Virgin Mary must turn into wine. Nearby there are paintings depicting St. Elijah and St. Dominic, patron of the church and founder of the Dominican Order. Niches on the side walls are occupied by a series of eighteen portraits of saints whose mission was to extol the spiritual significance of the order: Thomas Aquinas, St. Vincent Firerra, St. Catherine of Siena and others. The themes of the remaining paintings are related to biblical parables and quotes. Today, the renovated refectory space is rented out as a spectacular venue for weddings, receptions, concerts, conferences and trainings.

Story

The first written mention of the church of St. Ilya, adjacent to the monastery, dates back to 1238, but archaeological research has shown that the sanctuary in this place was already at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. It was once occupied by the Utraquists, then by the Hussites, and in 1626 the church came into the possession of the Dominican Order, which has been in Prague since the first half of the 13th century. The Dominicans restored the church and added a baroque monastery to it, which became the center of the intellectual and artistic life of the city.

Today, the Dominican Order is actively working on the reconstruction and development of the monastery. In the future, it is planned to open a literary cafe and a center for various cultural and educational events, and now everyone has the opportunity to spend several days in the monastery hotel. Simple 1,2,3,5-bed rooms are equipped with the necessary furniture, a modern bathroom, a shared kitchen and free wi-fi. The cost of living is between 300-700 CZK per person.

In addition, the historical environment of the refectory and the entire monastery complex, of course, attracts filmmakers. One of the most famous films shot within the walls of the monastery is Amadeus by Czech director Milos Forman.

Dominican monastery in complex with the Church of St. Ilya is interesting not only for its baroque design, but also for the special atmosphere created by the centuries-old traditions of the order.

(1349)

(text by Elena Bobrova)

The complex of buildings remaining from the Dominican monastery in Tallinn is located between Myyurivahe and Vene streets, which are crossed by Munga Street. As you know, the Dominican Order was founded by the Spaniard Saint Dominic de Guzman in 1216. Members of the order, traveling across Europe in twos, had to preach the Gospel in its most remote areas (previously only bishops could preach, and there were not enough of them for everyone). So two Dominican monks arrived in Tallinn in 1229 and founded a monastery on Toompea, but already in 1233 they were forced to leave due to disagreements with the German knights. In 1246, the Dominicans returned to Tallinn and received the right to establish a new monastery, dedicated to St. Catherine - the first monastery in the Lower Town.

In the four buildings of the monastery there were rooms connected by passages: a church, a bedroom, a refectory, a library, a tomb, a chapter hall, a kitchen, and barns. Here is a diagram of the monastery of those years.

1 - church (church), 2 - reguiem chapel (chapel),
3 - dormitory (bedroom), 3a- chapter hall (chapter hall),
4 - supposable library (supposed library),
5 - old refectory (old refectory), 6 - new refectory (new refectory),
7 - supposable kitchen with its auxiliary rooms (proposed kitchen with auxiliary rooms),
8 - rooms for lay brethren (rooms for lay brothers), 9, 10, 11 - cloister (monastery crusade),
12 - inner courtyard (inner courtyard), 13 - well (well), 14 - granary (barn).
The only thing that is inaccurate in this diagram: under the bedroom (dormitory) there is still a chapter hall.

From the first years of the monastery's existence, there was a school for Estonian children. The site for the construction of the monastery was chosen very carefully so that the territorial location fully corresponded not only to the spiritual, but also to the material interests of the monks. The novices were engaged in trade (mainly fish) in order to earn their living. In 1517, the Reformation began in Germany, which then quickly spread to the Baltic states. The monks' loyal attitude to the power of the Pope made them enemies of the Protestants. The Dominican monastery in Tallinn was destroyed on September 15, 1524 - the buildings became the property of the city school, and the church was given to the Estonian parish.

In 1531 the church was so damaged by fire that it became unusable. In 1799, the northern wing of the monastery came into the possession of the Catholic Church and in 1844 a new neo-Gothic church of St. Peter and Paul was built on the site of the monastery refectory. In 1924, the former living quarters, church, garden, and refectory of the Dominican monastery were restored and opened to visitors. From the monastery complex, only the western wall with two portals, part of the southern wall with fragments of three buttresses, window openings and the lower part of the south-eastern tower, as well as fragments of the northern wall and the Church of St. Catherine have survived to this day.

Fragment of the portal of the Church of St. Catherine (1), which can be seen in Katarina Lane (photo by E. Bobrova)

In 1954-1965 The monastery buildings were restored, and a museum of stone-cutting art was opened in them, exhibits for which were collected throughout the Old Town. Now the complex of monastery buildings is divided between three owners, two of which are different museums of the Dominican monastery, and the third is an artist who sells his works. Now we will go through one of the museums, the entrance to which is located from Muurivahe Street. Climbing the stairs, we find ourselves on the second floor in the former bedroom. There are three doors leading out of the room. The left one is this staircase leading down; the central one leads to a covered gallery (it’s the same “Jester” hanging next to it - see photo), but we will go to the right and find ourselves in the library. Above the bookshelves hang two bas-reliefs, which depict portraits of the very two Dominicans who were the first to reach Tallinn and founded a monastery here.

"Jester's Head", relief from the 16th century (photo by E. Bobrova)

We go down the stairs to the first floor. There is also a library here. Now let's enter the door leading to the chapterhouse. Two chairs are placed in the middle of the hall so that visitors can experience the effects of the energy column. I admit, I didn't feel anything. In the corners of the room, near the walls, there are various examples of stone-cutting art, and the vault of the hall, although low, is Gothic. After looking around, we head up the stone stairs, illuminated only by candles, to the bedroom. Now through the central door we will go out into the covered gallery. It also displays examples of stone-cutting art.

From the gallery window you can see the monastery courtyard and that part of the monastery complex that belongs to another museum. Previously, it was possible to go down into the courtyard, but now the stairs have been blocked. Opposite the window is the entrance to the monastery chapel. It is also used to display stone-cutting art. This is where our tour ends, because there is nothing else to see in this museum. Going down to the street, you can also go through a beautiful door and end up in the artist’s store.

Members of the Dominican Order settled in Tallinn in the 13th century. It is known that this order was founded in 1216 by the Spaniard Saint Dominic de Guzman. It is believed that the mother of the founder of the order, before the birth of her son, had a dream that she gave birth to a black and white dog that would illuminate the whole world with a torch. It is for this reason that Dominic fine arts appears before us with a torch, accompanied by a dog. Hence the name of the order - “domini canes”, which means “God’s dogs”. The mission of the order was to preach the Gospel throughout Europe. In 1246, the Dominicans received the right to found a monastery in Tallinn.

The site for construction was chosen very carefully and corresponded to the spiritual and material interests of the monks. To expand its influence, soon after its construction, a school was created at the monastery, where Estonian boys received education in Latin. The most significant building in the typical monastic complex was the Church of St. Catherine, built around the 14th century. At that time, the 68-meter church building was the largest and most visible in all of Tallinn.

During its existence, the monastery buildings were repeatedly rebuilt and expanded until the 16th century. However, the monastery was seriously damaged during the Lutheran reformation in 1525, when it was plundered. And in 1531 there was a severe fire in the building, which destroyed the church so much that it became unusable. In 1844, the Church of St. Peter and Paul was built on the site of the monastery refectory.

Unfortunately, the entire monastery building has not survived to this day. Today you can preserve the monastery garden and the surrounding cross passages, chapel, dormitory, monastery barn, chapter hall, etc. The Church of St. Catherine has also been partially preserved

Today, the monastery buildings house a museum, and also display the works of medieval Tallinn stone carvers. It is possible to book a tour of the monastery. IN summer days Concerts, various programs, and theatrical performances are often held in the ivy-covered courtyard. There is an "energy pillar" in the basement. It is believed that by leaning against it, you can draw physical and spiritual strength.

It's quite difficult to find a traveler who doesn't love medieval architecture. It is she who can take us back to those distant times and help us experience for ourselves all the incredible atmosphere of that time. Thanks to ancient architecture, every person is transported many years ago, as if he had found a time machine. There are quite a few ancient medieval buildings in the capital of Estonia, one of them is the Dominican Monastery.

The first members of the Dominican Order appeared in Tallinn at the beginning of the 13th century. The foundation of the order fell on the shoulders of the then famous Spanish figure Dominic de Guzman in 1216. There is a small legend about this man. Before Dominic was born, his mother had a dream in which there was a black and white dog with a torch that illuminated the whole world.

Most likely due to this legend, Dominic was depicted in many paintings with a dog holding a burning torch. This is where the name of the order came from – “domini canes”, which translated into Russian means “God’s dogs”. The main task of this community was the mass preaching of the Gospel throughout Europe. As the order's popularity gradually grew, in 1246 they were allowed to build their own monastery in the capital of Estonia.

Stained glass window with the symbol of the Dominican Order (“Dogs of the Lord”)

The members of the order took the construction of this structure very seriously and very carefully selected the site for construction. To increase the influence of the order, it was decided to create a school on the territory of the monastery. Thanks to this, young boys were educated in Latin. The most grandiose building in this monastery complex was the Church of St. Catherine. Unfortunately, no documents have survived to this day that would indicate the year of construction of this structure. However, historians note that this happened around the 14th century. The church was built quite high - 68 meters. At that time, this building was the most noticeable in the capital.

Over the course of 4 centuries, this monastery complex was constantly expanded, rebuilt, and reconstructed. But when the Lutheran Reformation came to the country in 1525, then all this was plundered. After another 6 years there was a very strong fire, then the church burned almost to the ground, its further use was impossible. Only several centuries later, namely in 1844, a new church of Saints Peter and Paul was erected.

Unfortunately, frequent fires, reformations and other factors did not allow the monastery building to be completely preserved. Today you can only see the monastery garden, the crusades, the chapel, the barn, the chapter hall and some other places. It is also worth noting that even to this day part of the Church of St. Catherine remains.

Anyone can visit the Dominican monastery in Tallinn. Now there is a museum here that displays the work of various Tallinn stone-cutters. If you wish, you can book a tour of the monastery, and a professional guide will tell its history in detail. In the summer, you can often see various theatrical performances or small concerts taking place in the courtyard. Favorite place for all tourists, this is the basement in which the “energy pillar” is located. It is believed that if you touch it, you will be charged with positive vital and spiritual energy.

Address on the map

The Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine (Catherine) can be found in Tallinn near the Town Hall Square, at the address:

• Müürivahe tanav 33

How to get there

First of all, you need to get to the Old Town by any comfortable view transport, there are a lot of routes, both bus and tram. Further from the Town Hall Square you need to turn onto Viru Street, and then after a few minutes you will turn left - onto Müürivahe Street. After walking a little straight, on the left side you will find the Dominican Monastery. It is worth noting that from the Town Hall Square to your destination you need to walk for a maximum of 10 minutes.

Working hours

If visiting the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine in Tallinn is one of your priorities, then you should plan your trip for the spring-autumn period, since in the second half of autumn and all winter the monastery is closed to visitors. The Tallinn Dominican Monastery is open daily from May 15 to September 30, visitors are accepted from 11:00 to 17:00.

Entry fee

Entrance to the monastery territory is paid and costs 1 euro.

Official site

If any actual information or news regarding this place, you can always visit the official website:

• claustrum.eu