Kitokio kelio beieškant arba Vilniaus Aušros Vartų Dievo Motinos paveikslo Paryžiuje istorija

ENThe article deals with the appearance of the picture of the Vilnius Aušra Gate В. V. M. Mother of Mercy in the church of St. Severin in Paris. The event is closely related to the so-called Great Emigration. After the suffered defeat in the revolt of 1831 against the authorities of the tsarist Russia a considerable number of its participants and supporters moved from the areas of the former Lithuanian-Polish state to the West. The emigrants who mainly consisted of noble men were in delay to accept the life of France. They established their own organization for the purpose of fostering the spirit of nationalism and cherished a hope of coming back to the liberated homeland as soon as possible. All spiritual and physical power was devoted to the matter. However, with the years going on the hope of returning was gradually vanishing. Ten years had passed after the revolt, and, unexpectedly, a religious mystic from Lithuania Andrius Taujanskis (Towianski) appeared in France who proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven and who was ready to liberate the Motherland in a very short period of time. The reaction to the event was variable. Some part of the emigration community the Catholic priesthood, particularly, did not show the loyalty and expressed the distrust in the prophet at once, however, at the same time a considerable number of his supporters appeared and a circle of his defenders was established the most remarkable representative of which became Adam Mickiewicz who was the then leading professor at the Paris College de France.Some open actions were organized by the Taujanskis Community and during the action, on December 8,1842, the replica of the well-known saint picture was hung in the church. It was created by Valentinas Vankavičius, a painter from Vilnius who was an ardent supporter of Taujanskis. Unfortunately, the mission of the picture emerged in Paris which was known for its mercies and had the symbolical meaning of the open God Mother’s approval of the mission of the prophet (it was believed that the picture was the original which occurred by a miracle in the church) was unsuccessful and the number of the supporters did not increase. The supporter?of Taujanskis found their position difficult because of their disagreement with the Catholic church as well as because of their isolation from others, and this led them to a sect’s fate. The reason for the failure was the established military order of the community which was based on feudal customs and this, subsequently, resulted in their disability to accept the teaching for liberation through the way of spiritual revival but not through the fight of any kind. Taujanskis’ mission could not have been accomplished, nevertheless, it has a great influence upon the ideology of the Polish messiahism.