In April 2010, the city authorities of Vinnitsa decided to create in the city a historical and cultural complex «Vinnitsa Mory» on the basis of architectural monuments of the XVII century — Jesuit monastery, the remains of fortifications, as well as the regional local history and art museums. It is planned to create the necessary infrastructure for the arrangement of the art town, which will include an art salon, creative workshops, exhibition halls and open-air museum expositions, the square will be used to hold urban mass cultural events.
What are these «Muras» (from the Latin murus — wall) and what is their current appeal? These are the oldest buildings in the center of Vinnytsia — the oldest historical and architectural landmark of national importance.
In the early XVII century Jesuit monks came to the city. The headman of Bratslav V. Kalinowski donated thirty thousand zlotys to the monks, for which a defense monastery (klashtor) was built on the right bank of the Southern Bug, which included a huge Jesuit church, a collegium (school) and a konkvikt (monks’ dormitory). Like a powerful fortress, these buildings were protected by thick brick walls with towers at the corners. These capital «murovana» buildings were called «Murami». They are the only surviving fortifications in the city. The walls with small square loopholes, slightly sloping inward into the courtyard, reek of severe strength and impregnability. The massive corner towers resemble a huge bell. The appearance of the church also reminds of a good fortress. The monastery building with ascetic cells adjoins the church. The chapel was built in the early Baroque style. Unfortunately, subsequent repeated rebuildings and renovations have distorted the expressiveness of the original appearance of most of the buildings of this defensive monastery.
In 1621 not far from the Jesuit church was built Dominican (also Catholic) monastery. In a somewhat modified state it has survived to this day. On the territory of the monastery was built church, which is a straight cross with a short «crossbar» — transept. Appearance and interior decoration of the Dominican church is much richer than the Jesuit church. The lower tier of the facade is decorated with densely crowded pilasters of the Tuscan order, the architectural decoration of the second tier is somewhat simpler. The main decoration of the interior of the temple are magnificent Corinthian capitals of pilasters, rich pile of increasing lines of entablature.
In 1746, not far from the already built Jesuit and Dominican monasteries was erected a modest monastery of Capuchins. All three monasteries communicated with each other by underground passages, uniting into a single defense system. The walls of the monasteries were guarded by the military, and the civilians of Vinnitsa hid inside during the hostilities. This united defense structure of the monasteries performed a protective function from XVII to XVIII century. Fragments of the walls and the corner western tower have survived to this day.
Dominican klashtor was abolished in 1835, and the church four years later became the Orthodox Holy Transfiguration Cathedral. Since 1929 the cells of the Jesuit monastery have housed the Vinnytsia Museum of Local Lore, and the Vinnytsia Archives are located in the walls of the former collegium.
The revived historical and cultural complex «Vinnytsia Mory» should become the center of cultural life of Vinnytsia and an attractive place for guests of the city.