Journey around Vilnian streets: Story about the deserving family of Sawicz

Sawicz Street (Savičiaus g.) begins by Town Hall Square and runs towards Bakszta Street (Bokšto g.).

It used to have different names: Sawicz the second or Aleksandrijewskaja.
Finally, it was named after the Sawicz family, who lived in Vilnius in the 16th century. The history of the Sawicz family of Sulima coat of arms is an inseparable part of the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. First notes about the Sawicz family appeared at the beginning of the 15th century but the height of their importance occurred at the turn of 15th and 16th centuries, when Lew Sawicz along with his three sons loyally served to the King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk. The family brought forth a number of representatives who played key roles in the history of Vilnius. Maksym Sawicz was the mayor of Vilnius in the 16th century. The street was named after his or his father, magistrate councilor, Jan Sawicz’s name.

When we turn to Sawicz Street (from the Town Hall side) on our right we can see rather dour building. In 19th century there was “Hanna” hotel. In April 1897, Russian novelist, Fiodor Dostoyevsky stayed there. The memory of this event is inscribed on the memorial plaque on the building’s wall.

The oldest preserved tenement house on the Sawicz Street comes from 16th century (Savičiaus 11). The Sawicz family with the Vilnius city mayor Michał Minkiewicz, lived there in the 18th century. Till the half of 19th century it was the tenement of Vilnius mayors and vogts. From 1907 to 1908, the great Lithuanian painter and composer, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, rented a small, modest room in there. It was also the place where he painted some of his most mature works. In 1920, for the anniversary of his birth, M.K. Čiurlionis Cultur Centre was opened in this tenement. In 2002, the wall of the building was decorated with the Čiurlionis’s memorial plaque.

At the very end of the street, just on the right, there is an unassuming and falling down church of the Mother of Consolation (Augustinian’s church). It was built in 1746 by the architect of Augustinian order. The church is the last building in Rococo style which was raised in Vilnius. In 1843, the Russian changed the temple into the orthodox church of St. Andrew. Fortunately, they left the idea of rebuilding the church and no substantial changes took place. The only parts which were removed are: the choir, pulpit, statues from the alter. They were replaced by iconostasis. In 1919, the church returned the Catholic. After World War II it was mostly devastated and closed down.

As yet, it is still closed for usage. The church is beautifully decorated with 6-storey tower, tapering to the top and covered with the light Rococo cupola. In its neighbourhood, there are former monastery buildings overlooking the Sawicz, Bakszta and Augustinian Streets. In 1807, the buildings were bought by the Vilnius University and organised as the place for main seminars. From 1833 to 1842, after the shut-down of the university, it was dedicated for Academy of Clergy. When the Academy was moved to St. Petersburg, the monastery was confiscated. Presently, the monastery buildings stay neglected and empty, waiting for renovation.

The number 10. at the exit of the Sawicz Street, by Bakszta (Bokšto g.), is the place where the Romer family used to live. Its history began in 16th century, but it became the Romer’s property only in 18th century. The tenement was called “Romer’s Academy”. A couple of famous painters come from this family and that was the place were they had their workshops, which, in fact, were one of the first painting workshops opened in Vilnius. The painters who worked there as well were:
Kanuty i Bolesław Rusieccki, Jan Zienkiewicz and others. There is a memorial plaque which reminds us of this fact. The other famous tenant of the building was Jan Kazimierz Wilczyński, the author of the “Vilnius Chronicle”. Moreover, Stanisław Moniuszko gave concerts in there. From 1781, the building was the place of Masonic lodge called “Eager Lithuanian”.

By 6., at the same side of the Bakszta, until a little while ago, there was the ”Sawicz” hospital. In 16th century, it was a Gothic building, which became the Sawicz’s property in 18th century. In 1747, the colonel of “nowogródzki” region, Józef Sawicz Korsak bequeathed it to the sisters of mercy. After the building was joined to the others, the hospital was established. From 1803, medicine students worked there under the guardianship of famous prof. Józef Frank. From 1831 to 1832 it was a university clinic. The hospital was still there even in the interwar and Soviet times. When talking about the Sawicz, other members of this family are worth mentioning. In his book “Vilnius”, professor from Wroclaw Technical University, former Vilnian, Edmund Małachowicz writes:

“In 1838, Association of Polish People was discovered in Vilnius. It was established by Szymon Konarski, who got arrested along with Franciszek Sawicz, Jan Zahorski, Antoni Wawrzecki and other men who were mainly the students of Medical-Surgery Academy in Vilnius.”

When Konarski arrived to Vilnius, Franciszek Sawicz had already established the secret Democratic Society, which worked and served as the base for Association of Polish People. Similarly to Konarski, Franciszek Sawicz was arrested by Tsarist authorities. He was cruelly tortured, but he never betrayed anyone. He was sent to Caucasus for military service but he managed to escape. His memoir was published in Cracow in 1876.

At Vilnius Rossa, in AK quarter, lays the body of Waldemar Ryszard Sawicz, pseudo. “Pat”, who died during the liberation of Vilnius, July 7th 1944. According to Edmund Małachowicz “Sawicz came from the old Vilnius family whose members rest at Old Rossa”.

The Sawicz Street was very busy up to the World War II. A lot of tradesmen and craftsmen of Jewish origin lived there. Inns, booths, tailors’ and shoemakers’ workshops were placed there. In the Middle Ages, at the corner of Sawicz and Town Hall Square, there was the inn for the guild of Vilnius beggars.

As in the old times so today, the Sawicz Street comes to be busy. In the evenings, a lot of young people and tourists come there. The guests are invited by cosy coffee houses and restaurants, as well as shops and galleries. The interesting fact is that on the fork of the street there is the narrowest street in Vilnius, which formally is not even a street. It belongs to the Sawicz Street.

To visit it, we need to go in the direction of Town Hall Square, along the Sawicz Street to Bakszta. Not yet reaching the Augustinian Street, we need to turn just behind “Balzac” restaurant to the gate of house number 11 (Čiurlionis Museum), and next go through the first narrow gate to the right. In this way, we reach the wonderful narrow alley, which is built of brick and covered with moss. It resembles the 17th century Vilnius. Its width it only 1 meter. Historical sources say that in 18th century in Vilnius there was a lot of street like that, resembling the narrow streets of South Europe.