Opening of the exhibition "Traces of the Blessed Theophilus Matulionis in St. Petersburg"

Forty years of change
The series of creative works is dedicated to the archbishop, martyr, pal. T. Matulionis for the St. Petersburg period of life and service, which with a ten-year break (from 1900 to 1910) reaches almost forty years. This period was at a time of change of epochs, when St. Petersburg became Petrograd and later Leningrad. When the worldview of the people changed, when the persecution of the faith began, "... some people even became collaborators of the KGB, and others became saints ..." - as J. Em. in the introductory word of Cardinal S. Tamkevičius' exhibition. Pal. T. Matulionis' life and faithful service became a symbol of the changes taking place.
During those years in St. Petersburg pal. Four most important things happened to T. Matulionis: 1) studies at the Seminary of Priests; 2) service in the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he built and assembled the parish, 3) consecration of T. Matulionis to the bishop, 4) courts and imprisonment for the performance of the duties of a priest.

Unique photographic techniques and modern technologies
The exhibition consists of 51 author's works, of which 33 images are made by author's phototype printing technique. The exposition is created from original photographs and working with archival documents of the Birštonas Sacred Museum, many of which will be shown for the first time.
A special place is occupied by the cycle of color phototypes - it is unique. In creating these works, dedicated to the places of T. Matulionis' life in St. Petersburg, the author for the first time in his work improved the technique and introduced color, combining the classic phototype printing technique and modern technologies.

The contact points are searched in the menu
Artūras Jonauskas is a photographer and artist who uses various methods of photographic printing as an instrument for expressing his worldview. Revives old and creates new alternative ways of expressing a photographic image by discovering points of contact with the art of printed graphics. 2018 An exhibition of his phototypes "Traces of Maironis in St. Petersburg" was exhibited in St. Petersburg, and later in Lithuania.
Phototype created in 1855. In France, Alfonso Poitevino as a method of mechanical copying of images. Having survived its prosperity and has now lost its relevance in printing, the phototype has remained a printing technique with wide-resolution properties.

The project of the exhibition was initiated by the Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in St. Petersburg and implemented together with the Birštonas Museum. Archival documents also contributed to the creation of the exhibition. The parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church was built by T. Matulionis in St. Petersburg. This church is the last Catholic church built in Petrograd.

More information:
Teol. dr. Roma Zajančkauskienė
Birštonas Sacred Museum
El. E-mail: [email protected]
Tel. +370 618 53429