Heavenly Jerusalem, an altar upper section, is the latest sacred project of Mariusz Drapikowski, an amberman from Gdansk. On 6th August this fragment of altar made for the chapel of IV Station of the Cross in Jerusalem was ceremoniously sacred in St Brygida Basilica in Gdansk.
 During a ceremony of consecration the author described a symbolism of particular parts of his work, justifying in detail a choice of ornamentation, materials and history of its creation. The altar upper section is made in a form of a triptych – gate of bronze, titanium, silver, gold and amber. Its outer, richly decorated part is full of symbols and references to the traditions of Christianinty and the Bible, and mainly to the Revelation of St John the Divine where there is a description of a perfect town – Heavenly Jerusalem. The major elements of illuminated interior are a monstrance in a form of Mother of God, first carrier of Christ and openwork decorations made of titanium where various Christian crosses were cut, from Coptic ones to Jerusalem, Russian ones and many more. They symbolize a diversity characteristic for Christianity. The triptych has also typically Polish accents: among other things stiped flint donated by Cezary Lutowicz and amber extracted in Gdansk, a gift of Krzysztof Lalik. 
The altar supper section, which was made by Mariusz Drapikowski together with Anna Szymanowska and Kamil Drapikowski constitutes his final, master’s work. After the presentation in St Brygida Basilica it was shown in Lodz, where the author finishes studies at the Academy of Fine Arts. Before an installation of the altar in Jerusalem it will be exhibited in the sanctuary in Czestochowa (12 th August), Altotting (Germany, 14 th September), Cologne (Germany, 26 th – 28 th September) and in Rome.
III and IV stations of the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem are called Polish stations. They were created thanks to donations of the soldiers from the Anders army. They are looked after by a catholic church of Armenian rite. Its exarchate in Jerusalem, Raphael Minassian, having familiarized himself with a project a monstrance for the chapel suggested that Mariusz Drapikowski could make the altar upper section and let him have all the chapel at his disposal. In January this year the project won the approval of all patriarchs of Near East.
Photo by Michal Kosior 2008-08-12 | 
