Vilnius Church of St. Catherine, or Kotryna, as they say in the old days, in its first version was wooden architecture. He refers to the style of the late Baroque. It was one of the most beautiful churches in Lithuania. It belonged to the Benedictine convent.

Its present appearance Church of St. Catherine was in the process of reconstruction in 1743. Devastating fires raging in the city for a few years before, and touched the temple. That's why it had to be reconstructed. Work was carried out under the direct supervision of the designer - architect Glaubitsasa.

Intricate patterned facade gables and surprisingly graceful towers are the fruit of imagination and creative thinking is this architect. Catholic church is a building in late baroque style, decorated in the rococo style. During the reconstruction of the main facade it was overbuilt with different sides of two remarkable four-tiered tower in rococo style. In the central part of the facade Glaubits built a new gable towering towers between them at the level of the third tier.

The lower tier is decorated modestly, but emphasizes its rigor rich portal, decorated in baroque style. It is framed by sculptured columns, pilasters and an ornamental cartouche with coats of arms. The windows and niches of the second tier is richly ornamented. The third tier is like the second, but looks even richer by a tall, elegant pediment. It harmoniously completes the overall architectural line.

Under the pediment, on the second floor of the main facade built two niches with statues of St. Benedict and St. Catherine. At the level of the fourth tier of the tower narrowed. The vacated space built openwork lattice and decorative vases. In the air interlacing lattice read number 1743. Over the fourth tier is also the fifth and smallest tier on which mounted helmets bulbous shape. The interior is harmoniously complemented by nine altars, built in Baroque style. The interior walls of the church is decorated with paintings of the outstanding painter of the 18th century, Shimon Chekhovich.

The heyday of the monastery occurred in the late 17th - early 18th centuries, when the monastery came Sibylla Magdalena and Anna, the daughter of Lithuanian tycoon Jan Paz. In 1700 he bequeathed the monastery a large property. During this period nuns strongly supported publishing. The monastery has a library, which was one of the largest libraries in the congregation. Currently, this priceless collection of books stored in the vaults of the Lithuanian National Library named after M. Mažvydas.

During the French invasion in 1812, the church was subjected to the ravages of the French soldiers and was sacked. His room was placed pharmaceutical warehouse. Before the war, the building of the monastery operated a boarding school for girls, but then it was abolished.

And the temple suffered during the Second World War. Under Soviet rule, established in 1946, the church was closed. In the premises of the monastery were built apartments and various secular institutions. Catholic church became a storehouse for the Art Museum, which is in the process of nationalization was transferred to the church. The nuns had to disperse in search of a new abode. Many of them were forced to leave the country and go to Poland.

In 1990, the church was returned to Vilnius archbishopric. For a long time church remained inoperative. In 2003, the governments of the city signed with the archbishopric agreement under which undertook to carry out the first restoration work in the inactive churches in return for their subsequent use for twenty years of cultural activity. The state has invested in the restoration of the six million litas. In 2006, visitors were able to see the restored church. Now here is the cultural center of the city of Vilnius.