Atbalstīt baznīcas atjaunošanu iespējams veicot pārskaitījumu uz ziedojumu kontu:
Lestenes baznīcas atjaunošanas fonds
Juridiskā adrese: Tukuma novads, Lestenes pagasts "Lestenes baznīca", LV-3146
Reģ.nr.: 40008178049
Swedbank, HABALV22
Konts: LV16HABA0551030745431
vai arī zvanot uz ziedojumu tālruni 90006088 (maksa par zvanu EUR 1.42)
Lestenes baznīca, kaut arī nepieder pie senākajiem Kurzemes
dievnamiem, savā trīssimt gadu ilgajā pastāvēšanas laikā iemantojusi izcila arhitektūras un dekoratīvās mākslas pieminekļa slavu. pašos pēdējos gados. 1700.g. septembrī namdara Hansa Mihela Šrēdera vadībā jau bija pabeigta baznīcas jumta konstrukcija. 1703.g. Lestenes baznīca jau minēta kā jaunuzcelta, taču segta vēl ar salmu (tātad pagaidu) jumtu. Lestenes baznīca būvēta ļoti vienkāršas formas ar gludi apmestām sienām zem stāvā kārniņu jumta un masīvu, kvadrātisku torni rietumu galā. No daudziem citiem lauku dievnamiem, kas šādā izskatā Kurzemē celti jau kopš Gotharda Ketlera laikiem, tā atšķiras ar visai iespaidīgiem izmēriem un lielajiem, gotiski spraišļotajiem logiem. Celtnes dominante bija tās torņa smaile, kas, ja tic teiksmām - sava augstuma dēļ spējusi maldināt pat jūrasbraucējus. Torņa smaile tika sagrauta 1747.g., kad tajā iespēra zibens. Ugunsgrēkā sakusušo zvanu atlēja no jauna vēl tā paša gada beigās, tā uzrakstā iemūžinot bēdīgā notikuma aprakstu. Pretstatā baznīcas skarbajai ārienei, tās interjers bija pārsteidzoši grezns. Pilastriem rotāti pīlāri dalīja telpu trīs jomos, kurus sedza skaitas krusta un zvaigznes velves. Bez sarežģītā profila dzegām un citiem tektoniskiem elementiem interjera barokālo noskaņu kāpināja stukā veidoti zeltīti kapiteļi, arku slēdzējakmeņi un velvju ribojuma krustpunktos izveidotas rozetes. Uz vienas no tām, kas bija veidota kā eņģeļu galviņu ietverta kartuša, atradās gada skaitlis "1704", kas norādīja laiku, kad notikusi baznīcas interjera izveide. Lestenes baznīcas iekārta izgatavota laikā no 1704. gadam. Šī iekārta, kuras autors ir slavenais Ventspils kuģu būvētavas koktēlniek Nikolass Sēfrens Jaunākais (1660.-1710.), iegājusi mākslas vēsturē kā izcilākais Latvijas baroka laika kokgriezuma ansamblis. Lestenes altāra retabls
Milzīga, turpat 10 m augsta trīsstāvu būve apmēram30 apaļskulptūrām un ciļņiem, bija viens no lielākajiem Latvijā. Ja izmēru ziņā ar to vēl varēja konkurēt atsevišķu Latgales baznīcu mūrētie altāri, tad mākslinieciskās piesātinātības un kokgriezumu bagātības ziņā tam Latvijā nebija līdzvērtīga. Kā izņēmumu var minēt vienīgi Sēfrensa 1697. gadā griezto Liepājas Sv. Annas baznīcas altāri, kas būtībā bija Lestenes retabla prototips. Līdzīgi kā Annas baznīcā, arī te altāra centrā tika ilustrētas traģiskākās Jaunās Derības lappuses. Atšķirīgi veidots bija vienīgi trešais stāvs, kur "Debesbraukšanas" cilni aizstājusi ažūra "Glorija"(liesmojošas saules motīvs). Pārējo daļu aizpildīja eņģeļu un apustuļu figūras, kuru atribūti zinātājam ļāva nekļūdīgi atpazīt konkrēto personāžu. Abstraktie evaņģēliju tēli te it kā atdzīvojās, ieguva reālistiskus gluži taustāmus vaibstus. Lestenes altāris patiesībā bija vesela skulptūru galerija, kuru bagātīgi lietotais baroka ornaments sakausēja košā, neikdienišķā mākslas parādībā. Kancele
Patiesi unikāla bija arī Lestenes baznīcas kancele, kuras podija un uzejas margu ciļņos bija izmantotas alegoriska satura kompozīcijas. Šajos ciļņos, kam par paraugu bija kalpojušas 17., 18. populārās simbolu un emblemātikas grāmatas, nosacīto tēlu un simbolu valodā bija iemiesoti dažādi kristīgās morāles postulāti.
Ērģeles
Īpašu vietu Lestenes iekārtā ieņēma ērģeļu prospekts, kas pārstāvēja, Latvijā reti sastopamo, Hamburgas tipu ar stabuļu izvietojumu divos plānos. Pašas ērģeles ar 33 reģistriem 1707. gadā izgatavoja Liepājas ērģeļbūvētājs Korneliuss Rēneuss. 1847. gadā cits Liepājas ērģeļbūvētājs Kārlis Hermanis ērģeles papildināja ar vēl 10 reģistriem, bet 1873. gadā senais instruments tika aizstāts ar jaunu. Tiesa, neviena no pārbūvēm neskāra prospektu, kas izmēru un mākslinieciskās piesātinātības ziņā neatpalika no altāra. Stabuļu vertikālie ritmi piešķīra prospektam stabilas, organizētas formas, savukārt daudzās muzicējošās eņģeļu figūras vērta to līdzīgu fantastiskai, apdzīvotai celtnei.
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Establishing of the Lestene Church Reconstruction Fund
Lestene Church reconstruction fund is established to receive benefaction for reconstruction of once so magnificent Kurzeme “temple” – Lestene Church. Although the church does not belong to the oldest temples of Kurzeme, it has earned the fame as an excellent architectural and decorative arts monument in its 300 year existence. The magnificent church equipment was produced during the years 1704-1709; its author was Nikolass Sēfrens Jaunākais (1660-1710) – the famous shipyard wood carving master from Ventspils. The equipment went down in history as the most outstanding woodcarving ensemble of Latvian baroque. The year 1945, when the tower of the church burned out and other parts of the church were damaged in the gunnery, was disastrous. Although the roof was fixed and the further damage of the building was prevented, the situation of the church increasingly deteriorated. Further services for church congregation were banned in 1961; it was the start of an unpunished equipment deflection and delivery in the abandoned building. The roof of the church burned down in 1963, and the state of the building became crucial. The dryer and barn took place in the church. The irreflexivly ravaged church equipment was dismantled and transported to the Tukums town History Museum and then to Rundale Palace museum; the church as an ensemble of the united cultural history and art stopped to exist. The church came into possession of the congregation in 2002; the work of reconstruction was started by demolishing the dryer. The technical project of the church renovation and restoration was developed in 2004. An active work of church renovation and maintenance is continued now in 2011. The necessity of the church renovation is stressed by the words of Rundale Palace director, Imants Lancmanis (a specialist in architecture and cultural history), “It should become a question of national patriotism; that’s our duty. It should be proved that the bad may take a turn for the better. The holy Lestene should come into existence once again as it is written in the stories of Latvia. Our country needs something bright and beautiful.” Ojārs Spārītis, an art historian, admits that Lestene Church has proved once so excellent ability of Kurzeme masters, and it should definitely be renovated. Considering that next to the church lies Lestene cemetery of the Brethren, the aim could be memorial development, where the church and the cemetery would represent the unity. The executive of Irlava and Lestene parish administration Vilnis Janševskis says, “I believe that the fund is very essential to receive benefaction and reconstruct the church. Considering that many things are done around the church reconstruction, the work should be continued in country level cooperating with all the interested parties and institutions. Not only Lestene Church is a special place for its people, but also a merit of the country and European culture. The local government supports and will support (within limits) the church reconstruction and the cemetery of the Brethren upkeep and perfection.”
The aim of the fund constitutors is to see Lestene Church as beautiful as it was at the beginning. You, too, may help us to fulfill the aim donating:
Lestenes baznīcas atjaunošanas fonds
Adrese: Tukuma novads, Lestenes pagasts "Lestenes baznīca", LV-3146
Reģ.nr.: 40008178049
Swedbank, HABALV22
Konts: LV16HABA0551030745431
Lestene Church
Although Lestene Church doesn’t belong to the oldest churches of Kurzeme (West Latvia), it has earned the fame as a monument of outstanding architecture and decorative arts in the 300 year existance. The work on church building started at the end of the 17th century. The roof construction of the church was already finished by a builder Hans Mihels Šrēders in September, 1700. Although the church was laid with straw roof in 1703, it was considered as a new-built church then. Lestene Church has a simple shape – with smoothly plastered walls under the high-pitched tegular roof and massive, square shape tower on the west side. It differs from many other country churches (which were built in Kurzeme since the time of Gotthard Kettler) with its impressive proportions and grand, gothic arched windows. The most important part of the church was the tower peak, and, if we believe the legends, the peak misled seafarers due to its height. The tower peak was destroyed by a lightning in 1747. The melted bell was renovated at the end of the same year engraving on it the description of the miserable event. In contradistinction to the bluff exterior of the church, its interior used to be very luxurious. Pillars decorated with pilasters divided the room into three naves, which were covered with concaves of cross and stars. Besides the intricate profile cornice and other tectonic elements, baroque sense of interior was increased by golden chapiters formed in stucco, arch keystones and rosette set in concave rib centring. On one of those, which was created as a frame including angel’s head, represented the year 1704 indicating the time when interior establishing developed. Lestene Church equipment was produced during the years 1704-1709. The equipment went down in history as the most outstanding woodcarving ensemble of Latvian baroque; its author was Nikolass Sēfrens Jaunākais (1660-1710) – the famous shipyard wood carving master from Ventspils.
