Zanavykų krašto metaliniai kryžiai
LTStudijoje pirmą kartą atkreipiamas dėmesys ir į menkai tyrinėtą šiuolaikinių antkapinių paminklų papildinių tipą - ant aukšto arba žemo stiebo spinduliuojančias kaltines geležines viršūnes. Jos granitiniuose antkapiuose pradėtos naudoti taip pat sovietiniais laikais – maždaug nuo XX a. 7 dešimtmečio. Iki šiol jos komponuojamos tarp dviejų granito stelų, po vieną arba tris šalia antkapinio akmens, kartais tvirtinamos ant vertikalaus, rečiau - horizontalaus akmeninio paminklo, granitinės stelos fasade. Šios studijos tikslas – apibūdinti Šakių rajono kapinėse pastatytų įvairių tipų metalinių kryžių bruožus kitų Lietuvos vietovių paminklų kontekste. Tyrimui naudojami aprašomasis, lyginamasis, tipologinis, stilistinės analizės metodai. Leidinio struktūra sudaryta remiantis šiais principais: kryžių pavidalai kiekvienoje seniūnijoje klasifikuojami pagal atlikimo techniką (lieti, kaltiniai, vamzdiniai), prie kaltinių priskiriant ir su granitinėmis stelomis derinamas „saulutes“, nurodomi datuotų paminklų statymo laikotarpiai, trumpai apibūdinami kiekvienoje seniūnijoje esančių kapinių paminklų dekoro bruožai, jie lyginami su kitų Šakių rajono kapinių paminklais bei iki šiol žinomais Lietuvos metaliniais kryžiais, išskiriami retesni bei originalūs įvairių tipų paminklai, kurie didele dalimi sudaro iliustracinę studijos dalį. Lyginimui naudojama gausi autorės asmeninio archyvo medžiaga, Klaipėdos universiteto Baltijos regiono istorijos ir archeologijos instituto 2010–2013 m. vykdytų ekspedicijų Mažojoje Lietuvoje ikonografinė medžiaga, įvairiuose leidiniuose ir internete publikuoti pavyzdžiai. Prieduose pateikiami seniūnijose esančių tipinių formų kryžių vienetų, jų modelių ir metų statistiniai duomenys bei tipinių modelių lentelės.Tyrinėjant XIX a. pab. – XX a. I pusės paminklus iškyla datavimo problema, nes dalis senųjų paminklų neturi įrašų arba senas įrašas postamente uždengiamas nauja plokšte, arba paminklas nulūžęs ir jo pagrindas su data neišlikęs. Pasitaiko atvejų, kai dalis užrašų pasislepia sunkiam akmens ar metalo cokoliui susmegus į žemę, o XX a. palaidojimus žyminčių kryžių įrašuose gana dažnai nurodomas tik šeimos kapas. Kita vertus, mirties data nėra paminklo pastatymo metai, nes paprastai antkapinis paminklas buvo statomas praėjus metams arba vėliau, todėl leidinyje nurodomi tik kryžiuose arba postamentuose įrašyti mirties metai. Leidinys skiriamas muziejininkams, kryždirbystės tyrinėtojams, kalviams, pedagogams, moksleiviams ir studentams, paveldu ir metalo kryždirbyste besidominčiai visuomenei [Iš Įvado].
ENThe study discuses in detail the metal crosses found and recorded during the expeditions in 2014–2015 in the cemeteries of Zanavykai area for the FIrst time. The metal cross from Šakiai District cemeteries are characterised and compared with the examples from other Lithuanian areas; many typical models prevalent in Zanavykai cemeteries are presented in the tables annexed. Discussing the periods and styles of all types of tombstones, the attention is drawn to unstudied forged crosses, and especially to tubular crosses and supplements to the chiseled granite stelas which were not observed and researched in the Soviet period but which are a part of Lithuanian metal cross-making, and also the tradition continuity, witnesses of today‘s blacksmiths creative style. There is a fair amount of moulded cast iron crosses still extant in the Cemeteries of Šakiai District; most of them date back to the 9 decade of the nineteenth century – the first half of the twentieth century and match the period of their prevalence in Lithuania. The oldest surviving cross with the 1837 date of death in Šilgaliai cemetery (Slavikai eldership) is one of the earliest examples of the moulded cast iron crosses in Lithuania. In Lithuania context, Zanavykai area stands out in abundance of quite early moulded cast iron crosses from the middle to the 8 decade of the nineteenth century. Speaking about the shapes of crosses, in Šakiai District there spread the cross patterns popular in many areas of Lithuanian, some of which are more oQen found in the Highlands, the others are found in Samogitia and Lithuania Minor. Analogies with the particularity of Lithuania Minor region could result from close neighbourship and the taste of the local population of the Lutheran confession.There are also less common and rare cross models which are not traced in other areas of Lithuania. The prevailing style of the monuments is Neo-Gothic, neo-Baroque decor forms are less common. There is a fair amount of new castings arranged between two stelas and on their facades, the majority of their shapes are standard, they are found in other areas of Lithuania, too. The shape of a sun on a decorative mast is the most commonly spead option. There are found some original granite stela castings which are not tracked in other areas. Forged tombstone crosses also survived in quite large numbers. The oldest dated monument marks 1869 tomb (in Plokščiai); as in all of Lithuania, the majority of them belong to the end of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, some individual monuments are built in the second half of the twentieth centuries and at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Structurally, two-masted ones dominate, one-masted ones are scarce, some of their designs and decor are typical, others have analogues in Samogitia, the examples specific for Dzūkija are rarely found. There are also use options of individual ornamentation; 2 crosses are of the professional work of blacksmiths (the crosses in the cemeteries of Prieniškiai and Griškabūdis). In terms of decor, abundant two-masted ones have several key features: typical models spread in Lithuania at the end of the nineteenth century in the first half of the twentieth century are quite rare in the cemeteries of Zanavykai area, and this is an evidence of the local blacksmiths‘ creativity; there is a number of distinctive crosses created by the local blacksmiths in which there are di[erent variations of S and C motifs which oQen create tracery typical for a neo-Gothic style; di[erent patterns of transverse ends of the shape are used; silhouettes of some crosses are supplemented with openwork caps.Crosses which have a „frame“ and some vertical parts reminiscent of the gothic style on the mast are found in the cemeteries of Žemaičių Kalvarija and Raseiniai district; this model could a[ect the distinctive parts - two candles, crosses and similar „towers“ - emergence at the bottom of the non-gothic crosses. Originality is provided by the characteristic features of the crosses from Lutheran cemeteries - sacral record tables, craving for analogous molded parts, rarely used figurative castings. The influence of the Lutheran cemetery crosses is undoubtable because until the middle of the twentieth century in Zanavykai area there was a big number of Lutheran communities and some blacksmiths belonging to this confession. The crosses in Lutheran cemetery have clear analogies with Minor Lithuania cemetery monuments of the same period. In Stalioriai cemetery there survived a rare in Lithuania cross decor type when the spaces of internal frame is filled with metal bands openwork cut. There are not many tombstone crosses at the end of the twentieth century and at the beginning of the twenty-first century; the decor of a part of them shows a certain continuity of the former tradition, in the other part, we can see creative interpretations of the blacksmiths. In Šakiai district cemeteries, quite a few tubular crosses were built; some of them belong to the first half of the twentieth century and majority correspond to the prevalence in Lithuania period. In the term of form, the vast majority of the crosses represent the typical models spread in Lithuania, however, there are also some distinctive decor options which are not registered in other Lithuanian cemeteries.
