The Chapel and Mausoleum of the Tiškevičius Family

Coordinates: 55.894151 21.245021

Object address: Vilnius st., Kretinga

Municipality: Kretinga district

The chapel and mausoleum of the Tiškevičius family, the fence around the cemetery, and the eastern and western gates can be found in the new cemetery (II old cemetery) of the Kretinga parish and are a part of a state-protected complex of structures.
In 1893, the last ruler of the Kretinga, Count Aleksandras Tiškevičius and his mother countess Sofija Tiškevičienė have organised the construction of a Neo-Gothic red brick chapel in the new cemetery. The designer was Karl Eduard Strandmann.
The first object to be built was the cellar and mausoleum for the Tiškevičius family to be buried in. It was built from cube stone and red bricks and was surrounded by a small mound of dirt. The main façade was built with double metal ornamented doors. The chapel was surrounded by a tall red brick fence to ensure that the earth does not shift away from the mound.
The fence surrounded the entire Kretinga Manor. The top is built from profiled bricks that were brought in from Chernyakhovsk, East Prussia. Its shape is reminiscent of small roofs. Spiral stairs lead to the mound of the chapel. At the moment, the stairs are no longer located in their original location. Above the cellar stands the chapel. The red brick layout is curved and overlapping.
The overground structure can be entered through the wooden doors at the side of the enclosed porch, located at the northern façade. The doors are almost invisible if viewed from the front. The coats of arms of the Tiškevičius families and Neo-Gothic rosettes are the main decorative feature of the doors.
Semi-circular columns support the dome-shaped ceiling of the nave. The column caps are decorated with plant motifs. In the past, the interior of the chapel was full of wall paintings. In the apogee, which lies in front of the central nave, stands a wooden Neo-Gothic altar, brought in from the Warsaw A. F. Grmela workshop in 1894. There are four statues of evangelists next to it, and a bas-relief of Christ. The latter was imported from Oberammergau, Germany. The statues of evangelists were stolen during Soviet times and in 1989, the thieves also stole the bas-relief of Christ.
In the second half of the 20th century, funeral, death anniversaries, and All Souls’ Day services were held in the above-ground part of the chapel.
The chapel mausoleum is the burial place of Count Juozapas Tiškevičius, his wife Sofija Tiškevičienė, niece Marija Tiškevičiūtė, nephew Kazimieras Tiškevičius, and mother-in-law Jadvyga Tiškevičienė.
In 1975, the chapel was handed over to the Kretinga Local Lore Museum. Chapel restoration works were carried out in 1976 and in 2004.
It is a state-protected cultural heritage. The chapel is a part complex of the Tiškevičius.

Source: www.kretingosenciklopedija.lt

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