Category: Art

The town hall is a flagship building in every city center. Soi t is in Krasnystaw. Archeologine research indicates that it was originally located in the middle of the town square. Burned down during the great fire of Krasnystaw which took place in 1878. The current town hall is a building from the beginning of the twentieth century. This is evidenced, for example, by postcards from Krasnystaw made in 1914, on which it is just visible. On websites it is erroneously stated that the town hall was built in the interwar period. However, it is only true that in the interwar period in 1928 it was rebuilt after serious destruction caused by the battles for the town in August 1914 and in July 1915. In recent years, the façade of the building has been restored.

In October 2017, the ceremonial opening of the pilgrimage route ‘The way of life of the Blessed Priest Zygmunt Pisarski’ took place. Individual places are called ‘Stations’. The originator and coordinator of the creation of the trail was Zbigniew Atras. This trail presents 12 places in Krasnystaw related to the life of the Blessed Priest Zygmunt Pisarski. In each of these places there is an information board. On 3rd June 1999 Pope John Paul II beatified 108 martyrs from the last war, among them was Blessed Priest Zygmunt Pisarski. On 13th June 2021 on the town square in Krasnystaw there were celebrations related to the granting of the patron in person of Blessed Priest Zygmunt Pisarski to the city of Krasnystaw and the 627th anniversary of granting city rights. More information about the trail can be found on the website: www.pielgrzymkrasnostawski.pl

We do not know the exact date of arrival of the Augustinians to Krasnystaw. We know with certainty that the buildings of the Augustinian church and monastery, erected in the years 1394 – 1434 and existing to this day, were founded by king Władysław Jagiełło. They were built of stone and bricks in the Gothic style of a defensive character and situated next to the Piast castle. Monastery buildings were located within the city walls. The monastery and the church of the Holy Trinity included in the complex are the oldest existing sacral buildings of the Krasnystaw land. In 1449 the complex was destroyed by the Tatars, but already in 1458 it was rebuilt by Kazimierz Jagielończyk. Subsequent rulers: Aleksander Jagielończyk and Zygmunt August, appreciating the missionary work of the Order, granted it numerous privileges and generously endowed it. The Augustinians were well educated, because the Order imposed the obligation to study. Just as the Dominicans and Franciscans they had the right to confess and proclaim the word of God, which was probably their main task, because the area of the Diocese of Chełm required a great deal of missionary work. Pope Boniface VIII granted the Augustinian Order special privileges, namely the right to establish cemeteries in his monasteries, where every believer could be buried. Since 1648 there were terrible and destructive wars in Poland. In the east of the country, a Cossack rebellion, started by Chmielnicki, broke out. The Ukrainian rebels showed no mercy. Churches, mansions and entire provinces were burned, castles were demolished. Priests, monks, nobles and simple people, including women and children, were murdered. Everything that was Polish and Catholic was destroyed. The Cossacks, unable to conquer Zamość in 1649, plundered, among others, the Krasnystaw land in retaliation. After conquering Krasnystaw, they completely ravaged it, also burning city files. In the spring of 1657, the Hungarian soldiers of Prince Rakoczy and the Cossacks accompanying them ravaged Krasnystaw and burned the Augustinian monastery. At that time the archives of the Augustinian Order gathered in the monastery burned down. In the years 1755-1766, thanks to the great benefactors of the Order, who was, among others, Katarzyna Radziwiłłów from Sobieski, the church of the Holy Trinity was renovated, while the monastery was built from scratch. After the dissolution of the Order of Augustinian priests by the tsarist authorities in 1864, its rather substantial property reaching 700 morgs of land was parceled out. The clerics were allowed to keep only liturgical vestments, books from the rich at that time library and paintings of saints. The facilities, transformed into barracks, were taken over by the Russian army. In the interwar period, a communication company of the Polish Army was located in the barracks. Today, this place is under the management of the Tadeusz Kościuszko High School Complex No. 1. At the present Zamkowa Street, the remains of the once impressive church and monastery complex of Augustinian priests have been preserved.

At the back of the former seminary there is a Biblical Garden of St. John Paul II. It spreads on the surface of 3 hectares. A prelate Henryk Kapica, a former parish priest of the St. Francis’s Church, was an originator and founder of this garden.The main theme of the garden were Stations ot the Cross. The official opening took place on June 17th 2012. There are about 100 species of biblical plants. There is a plate with Polish and Latin name at each plant, a scripture quote and a few sentences about this plant. The garden abounds in plants rarely grown in Poland (including Babylonian willow, ‘burning bush’). For winter lots of these plants are transferred to plants are transferred to the interior of the Jesuit college and the church, where temperature is more close to natural. Next to the aforementioned Carmel, a garden was created in honor of the great missionary St. Franciszek Ksawery, patron of the local parish. It was arranged according to the art of Japan and China, i.e. wind and water. The centre of the garden is occupied by a chinese – style chapel. The harmony of the garden was achieved through soft shapes and flowing lines, uneven terrain, winding paths and water reservoirs. The composition of the garden is complemented, among others, by plants: Chinese metasequoia, Manchurian willow, Japanese golden-grained, star magnolia, palm maples. The last part of the garden is consecrated in honor of the blessed priest Zygmunt Pisarski. Its centre is a chapel in the Old Polish style.

The church of St. Francis Xavier is the most impressive and very well preserved to this day historic object in Krasnystaw. Next to it a monastery complex is located. It consists of the church of St. Francis Xavier, the college building, the building of the former seminary, the vicariate and the bishop's palace. It is a parish church, baroque three-aisle, with two towers topped with wood carvings of monumental figures. It was erected in 1695-1717 from the Potocki foundation according to the design of Jan Delamars. The construction of the building was directed by Jan Huss from Hungary. Towers were added in 1730 – 1741. In 1773 – 1826 the church served as the cathedral of the diocese of Chełm, and later the diocese of Lublin. Its interiors are decorated with polychromes by Adam Swach from around 1723, hiding an interesting puzzle. Why in the paintings depicting the missionary activity of Francis Xavier (a missionary from Asia), there is such a large accumulation of American Indians? Architectural decoration of the interior is formed by vaults, pilasters, entablaments, cornices, borders and portals. The church is richly equipped with movable decorations. The Jesuit Order was abolished in 1773 by documents issued by Pope Clement XIV. The Jesuit temple was taken over by the curia of the Chełm diocese. They made it a cathedral church, which it was until 1826, i.e. the transfer of the episcopal seat to Lublin. The greatest tragedy in the history of this temple was a construction disaster, during which the dome located on the top of the church collapsed, destroying the ceiling. This event is commemorated by a chapel located on the church square. Since 2016 conservation works are underway. Currently, after the renovation of the inner part of the church, the external façade is being restored.

Church buildings have their own reach history. Tsarist government took Augustinians of Krasnystaw their old church and monastery, which were funded by Władysław Jagiełło. The monks were built new living quarters with a small temple as compensation, on the outskirts of the city. One-storey monastery was built about 1826 according to Wawrzyniec Ziółkowski's design. Next to it an outbuilding was placed. The church was put up in 1837 – 1839. A bell tower according to Marconi’s design, raised at the same time as a temple, collapsed in 1993. It was rebuilt in 1996 and incorporated into the extended church. Augustinians stayed in it until the dissolution of the convent. Then the church and the monastery were given to Unicis firstly and after 1875 to Orthodox. They were using the complex until 1917, when it came back to Catholics. The temple became a rector's church. After the occupation of Krasnystaw by Germans in 1939 the captain of the wehrmacht was appointed as a commandant of the town. His quarters were created in the monastery. He was making decisions about the functioning of the town, because functionality of the municipal authorities was suspended. In 1948 the monaster was taken away from Catolics and an orphanage was placed there (until recently, the children's home). Next a pedagogical library and an educational and vocational clinic were located there. In 1991 this building was restored to Catholic church as a presbytery. On 3rd April 1984 bishop of Lublin Bolesław Pylak signed a Decree of TheEration, by virtue of which a new parish dedicated to the Holy Trinity was separated from the parish of St. Franciszka Ksawerego. Augustinian Church of the Holy Trinity in its history was a temple of three denominations: Unicis, Orthodox and Catholics.

Before the outbreak of World War I, the place where the building of the Krasnystaw Community Centre is currently located was not built-up. At the end of 1915, on an empty square, the Austrians arranged a fuel park fenced with mesh and barbed wire. The object is perfectly visible on the Austrian plan of Krasnystaw from 1918. Most likely, in 1938, on the property at the then Lubelska Street, in the place of the liquidated fuel depot, on the initiative of the Krasnystaw Merchants Association, the construction of a brick two-storey building for the seat of the Merchant's Club began. The building was designed by the Lublin engineer Stanisław Podkowa. It had cellars and it was original in shape, because its corners were round glazed two towers. At the beginning of 1941 the Germans became interested in the object. In the years 1941 – 1944 they used it, having previously adapted its rooms for storing various materials. Periodically, the German army also barracked in it. In fact, the first place called ‘Community Centre’ functioned in Krasnystaw, most likely since late autumn 1944. It underwent a provisional renovation to create rooms for the work of the Department of Culture and Art of the District National Council in Krasnystaw, created on August 14, 1944. In the early spring of 1945, the District Public Library was established in the ‘Community Centre’, headed by teacher Maria Kosiarska. In 1947, the library had 2547 books. In July 1970, the library was moved to spacious and modern premises on the first floor at 23 Okrzei Street. The fact of appointing the board at the beginning of 1953 should be taken as the date of commencement of the work of the Community Centre in Krasnystaw. It’s name was soon renamed to the District Community Centre. A cinema was also moved to the renovated facility. The adoption of the institution under the city budget in 1975 resulted in the change of its name to Krasnystaw Community Centre. Its first director (no longer the manager) was Tadeusz Kiciński. As part of its own activity at the end of the seventies, KDK had 17 clubs, teams and interest groups associating a total of 520 people. During the year there were about 200 different types of events. Folk art developed more and more. Gradually, the reconstruction was suspended due to martial law. In the first dozen or so days of its duration, ZOMO officers were barracked in the KDK premises. At the end of 1981, guests in uniform were checked out. At that time, the institution did not conduct activities, because it was banned in most institutions of social life until mid-January 1982. In 1983, the construction works planned four years earlier started again. The employees created a room for a café with their own money, which functioned almost until the end of the nineties. On April 18, 1985, there was a comprehensive acceptance of the construction and installation works of the first stage consisting in the modernization of the facility. On September 1, 1987, a music school was established in the added KDK wing, which initially was a branch of the school in Chełm. A great advocate of the establishment of this institution was Prof. Mariusz Dubaj, who became one of the first music teachers. On January 1, 1990, the Krasnystaw branch of the music school was renamed the State Music School of the first degree. The renovated KDK building created opportunities for the development of the facility. They were used by the new director Andrzej Leńczuk, on whose initiative in the years 1993 – 1994 the Krasnystaw Cultural Centre Choir and the Youth Wind Orchestra were created. In 1991, director Leńczuk initiated the "Gloria Vitae" concerts in the church of St. Francis Xavier. Time and technological progress will inevitably dematerialize everything that until recently was beautiful and modern. So it was with the house of culture. In the spring of 2011, the long-awaited comprehensive renovation and modernization of the KDK facility began. The project was designed with the most modern solutions. Thanks to that, the Krasnystaw Community Centre after 59 years from its foundation has gained a new face, arousing admiration throughout the region. The renovated and modern auditorium offers 219 spectators not only the latest 3D display technology, but also advanced sound system and lighting. There is also a professional theatre stage with facilities. The official opening of the new Krasnystaw Community Centre took place on 9 October 2012. Currently, in KDK you can see films in the highest digital quality, watch theatrical performances or operettas or listen to concerts of the best Polish artists. In KDK cultural education for all age groups – children, youth and adults is currently carried out. At present, there are over 20 different forms of activity. Among the permanent forms of work, creative forms have an advantage, in which participants can improve specific creative skills (m.in folk dance, art, handicrafts, various musical forms, vocal or theatrical classes) and broaden knowledge of a given field of interest (regionalism, photography, film, art). In KDK there are teams and activity clubs. There are also associations at KDK. It is the organizer of several dozen events ranging from local to nationwide, the largest of which is the National Festival of Hoppers and Brewers ‘Chmielaki Krasnostawskie’. www.kultura.krasnystaw.pl

The objects currently occupied by the exhibition halls of the Regional Museum in Krasnystaw were once part of a large monastery complex, in which the Jesuits resided. The jesuit college was erected in the years 1695 – 1741 at the same time with the church, creating a spacious quadrangle with a courtyard inside. The Jesuits were brought to Krasnystaw on the initiative of the bishop of Chełm Stanisław Święcicki. The investment in the construction of the college, with greater or lesser problems, was carried out until 1704, when, during the Great Northern War, Krasnystaw was occupied by the Swedish army under the command of General Stenbock. He gives orders to devastate and set fire to the city, including college under construction. In 1708, the cornerstone of the new college was laid and building works began. After the end of wars and plunder in 1717 that renovation and construction works at the residence and schools began with greater intensity. In 1720, the previous residence was raised to the rank of a college. In the first half of the eighteenth century, one very talented and hard-working monk stayed there for many years - Kacper Niesiecki. His passion was to collect information about Polish noble and magnate families. The result of his laborious over 20 years of scientific work became a four-volume work, which abbreviated name is ‘Korona Polska’. Currently, this work is the basis for heraldic works. The Krasnystaw College ceased its activity in 1773 after the liquidation of the Jesuit Order by Pope Clement IV. After the dissolution of the Order, all institutions became the property of the State Treasury and were to be used for the education and upbringing of young people. After the takeover of the college building by the National Education Commission, a three-class school was established in it. The church was converted into a cathedral church in 1776 and taken over by the bishop of Chełm. In 1780, as a result of financial problems, the KEN authorities handed over the jesuit buildings to the bishop of Chełm, who in the following year ceded all property rights to the chapter. Only two brick houses remained in the hands of the bishop, one of which, standing right next to the church, is called the bishop's palace. In 1811, the military authorities located a military hospital in the former college. In the interwar period (1918-1939) in the west wing of the college there was a cinema, the rest of the facility was inhabited by military families. During the German occupation during World War II, a German garrison was stationed here. In 1943 it had about 700 soldiers. A battalion of so-called recovered soldiers was stationed here waiting to be sent to the front after healing their wounds. After the World War II, municipal offices were introduced into the building of the former college, apartments and food warehouses were created. Since 1958, part of the floor in the middle wing and the library room have been adapted for museum purposes. The initiator of the creation of the museum was Józef Nikodem Kłosowski, who in 1930 in the pages of ‘Wieś krasnostawska’ began the action of collecting exhibits. The organizer and first head of the Museum established in 1954 was Zygmunt Tokarzewski – an art teacher, regionalist, Home Army soldier. The museum has nearly 13,000 exhibits in the field of archaeology, history, numismatics, ethnography, hopping and brewing, as well as ancient and sacred art. In the museum, you can, among other things, go down to the renovated underground, which is a substitute for the old system of dungeons and corridors existing under the city, as well as see the remaining piece of the medieval city walls. In one of the rooms (the former refectory) there are rococo frescoes from the first half of the XVIII century. In 1973, the collection of a professional book collection began, which led to the creation of a museum library, currently numbering over 6,000 volumes. Since 1973 a professional collection has been collecting, which led to the creation of a museum library, currently numbering over 6,000 volumes. From 2 August 2006 to 30 April 2008, the college building underwent renovations along with the restoration of the original shape of the college's roofs. During the works, the demolition of all secondary elements and partitions existing in each of the tenant rooms was carried out. The ground level within the courtyard and external walls has been restored. Since 2008, in addition to the museum, it has also housed the District Public Library and the Youth House of Culture. www.muzeumkrasnystaw.pl wirtualnezwiedzanie.muzeumkrasnystaw.pl