Sublime and terrestrial in an eternity kingdom

Kobrin → Creativity of fellow countrymen → Marchuk Nina Grigoryevna

At the beginning of the 80th nearly 5 years I worked in Nesvizhe. I went to a local church often and especially when it was uncrowded. Through windows in the base of a church I considered coffins of a family tomb Radzivillov. In the 80th Kolossovsky, stretch not one decade was a prior of a church. (Unfortunately, I do not remember his name as hardly knew it and other parishioners. For all he was Kolossovsky). Lived opposite to a church in a small lodge among a kingdom of flowers. I am not a Catholic. But something me along with orthodox church where christened me, pulled and pulls in a church. And I went there. Now here I will close eyes and I remember, and I remember beauty of this unique temple. You look – and you unite to eternity …

Being in the temple, you forget about small everyday, only one beauty of painting ennobles soul. I worked in service of a low rank, however, who wanted, could know me. I knew the priest Kolossovsky by sight. At that time to it was for seventy. And what my surprise when once the priest approached me was and without asking who I am and why, suggested me to examine a crypt – a patrimonial tomb of a princely sort Radzivillov. Not that day, and one day later, I remember at twelve in the afternoon when there is someone from regional committee.

Of course, I agreed. Not especially hoping for memory, I took with myself a pencil and paper. I knew that for that time details about a crypt were not anywhere. And here what was held washing in remembrance and records. Through a small door of a kostyolny wall at the left we went down in a vault. There one near another it is unsystematic, in silent silence, there were gray and black and claret color big coffins sarcophagi. Others on legs, others with carved wooden jewelry. One very modest, other magnificent. Vaulted ceilings of a vault press though it is breathed easily, windows in the base are barred, but are never closed. The priest Kolossovsky both on a crypt and on a church accompanied us, the benefit, us was several people.

Such tombs in Europe three: in France, in Germany and in Nesvizhe. There tombs of kings Lyudovikov and Gabsburgov, here uncrowned kings. The very first burial is dated 1616. It is a coffin with Nikolay Krshistof Radzivill's body, the founder of a crypt. The church was under construction in 1586-93 the famous Italian Jan Maria Bernardoni. And to get permission to a family crypt, without burials of the dead in the earth, Nikolay Radzivill went to Italy to the Pope.

The first dead were embalmed. And when in 1905 the inventory of coffins was carried out, one of them was opened. Attendees were surprised, having seen not decayed body. But in the eyes, everything turned into ashes …

Radzivillov buried without jewelry, in common clothes. And all knew about it. Perhaps, it also allowed to avoid in all four hundred years of robberies. And wars spared a church (though in the 17th century there was a fire, in World War II – hit of a shell). The epitaph on one coffin is interesting: "Everything, except life, obliged me only to you". So Radzivillov wrote about the wife one of a sort. However, as it is sad, any power, power will go in in a wooden box once. For whom in tiles, for whom under usual boards …

But there is a memory! About Radzivillakh legends go. I heard them in the childhood. I am from under the World. And Mir Castle Complex since 1568 belonged to a sort Radzivillov. One of legends which I very much love. In 1543 the representative of a sort Radzivillov, the beauty Barbara, at 20-year age became a widow. She lived in Vilno near the lock of the Polish king Zhigimond which had a son Augustus, by that o'clock vdovy too. Only one look was enough for future king of Poland for the dark-complexioned blonde Barbara to fall in love with her.

The first meeting and conversation confirmed it. However Augustus's mother, the queen Bona, was against. Both parties knew the own worth (the crowned and uncrowned kings). The king Zhigimond before death nevertheless blessed this marriage (about which the queen Bona did not know), and young people secretly in 1547 got married. But all secret becomes obvious. And having only received legitimate authority after death of the father, the new king Augustus forced the senate to recognize Barbara as the queen and crowned her.

However happiness was short … Barbara died. Her body became covered by not healing wounds, they bled and zlovonit. Nobody could be near, only one Augustus did not depart from it neither in the afternoon, nor at night. What they spoke about, nobody knows. But on May 8, 1551 Barbara died (did not do without the queen-mother's poison). Buried it in a month in Vilno. The mourning catafalque reached from Krakow so much. Behind a catafalque the king went. And people bowed to it, admiring his love, so strong and ardent (by the way, the king did not marry any more).

After a while Augustus wanted to see Barbara by means of spiritism. In a dark hall of the king put in a chair, bound hands and strictly punished not to touch I will lead to caused, However, when in the hall the king saw favourite Barbara, he rushed to it with words: "Any Basenka!" Wanted to embrace..., but explosion filled the hall with a putrid smell...

It the king deprived Barbara's soul of rest. Now she lives in Nesvizhe forever and is known in the world as "The black lady". The legend of "Sir Kakhanku", the king Stanislav Radziville is not less interesting. He persuaded the princess Tarakanova to take Catherine II's place and financed the impostor. The policy is policy!

It in Nesvizhe did winter for guests from Europe in the summer. Promised and made. Filled up with salt park, and imposed trees with cotton wool. And on the road from the lock to a church guests went by sledge. For today in a tomb seventy two coffins. Speak, there was more. Allegedly, the others floor below. But there is no course there.

Penultimate burial in a crypt was in 1936, and in May, 2000 there was an unprecedented event. The tomb was replenished with one more descendant Radzivillov, Anthony. A year ago he died in England. Relatives brought a ballot box with ashes to Nesvizh and with the permission of the authorities with big honors buried in a patrimonial tomb.
The thought that four centuries of life of the well-known princely sort went in in a small vault does not oppress. There live legends, history proceeds...

But not to finish on a sad note, give together with me we will come into a farny church. I will repeat, the church is constructed in the 16th century, the building in the form of a cross (if to look from above), however it gained the true magnificence in the 17th century. The solemnity and splendor to an interior are given by painting and a carving. The list of subdome space is especially allocated.

For the main altar of a church the local artist Cheski Dominic wrote "Last Supper". In the center of composition a table as, semicircular, Jesus and twelve apostles is covered with a green cloth, in the center anywhere. Portraits are executed so skillfully that dimensions of images are felt. The feast is not even looked through, it somewhere is lower, imperceptibly. Higher than a colonnade Sabaoth's phenomenon with a pigeon. The heads of angels are visible...

In the sky all of us in eternity, and all terrestrial temporary. Eternity – it is main. Number of a picture: "It is bread of angels", "Triumph of church". Here composition "Christ's Birth". Rest, sincere harmony. New life is born. On a huge stone the Mother of God sat down. It in a white-pink dress, in a blue raincoat. Iosif in a golden raincoat and a gray shirt. In the right hand a lily. On a lap before Maria, she has Iosif on hands the naked child. On the left entrance to a cave. The sky, the wood, mountains are visible. Nearby fence and head of a donkey. Idyll – indeed!

One more composition – "Christ's Castigation". Nearby terrible evil. Punish the one who is ready to go for any tests for the sake of happiness of people. Christ's groan is heard... The pictures "Ilya's Dream", "Prophet Ilya in the Desert", "Return of the Prodigal Son" are interesting. And everywhere angels, on the earth flowers, float clouds. Lake... The angel gives to Ilya a staff – support to the long road.

And if the first pictures speak about two measurements: terrestrial and sublime, on the second plan desire to live in the correct belief, honor and decency. If mistakes (and it is life) are possible, them it is necessary to correct, come in due time cap in hand...

Near an entrance to the temple a cycle of pictures of Saints who play musical instruments (especially the picture "The Saint Soldier with a Pipe"). And all of them sit on clouds. Such it, farny church of Nesvizha. Today in the Nesvizhsky church other, young priest. Old died long ago. I think, in the sky it in an eternity kingdom. On the earth he it deserved.

Shag newspaper, on October 26, 2000.

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