About the Church
Beižionys Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: history and architecture.
Beižionys Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of the smaller yet highly significant sacred buildings in Lithuania. Situated in the quiet area of the village of Beižionys, in Elektrėnai municipality, this wooden church not only catches the eye with its simplicity and beauty but also has a rich history, revealing the faith and perseverance of its people.
The twists of history.
1922 was a fateful year for the village of Beižionys – it was then that the priest Steponas Rudžionis returned to this area from the Diocese of Mogilev. In order to establish a parish and a church, the local estate owner Kornelija Tanskaitė-Ostrovskienė (also known as Astrauskienė) donated a small manor and 20 hectares of land. This gave a firm foundation for the building of the new church.
The first church was set up right in the small manor house, but already a few years later, in 1926, the priest Rudžionis, together with the local residents, built the wooden church that stands there now. Unfortunately, his activity did not go unnoticed by the Soviet authorities – in 1946 he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment. The priest died in 1949 in Vorkuta, but the work he had begun lived on.
Architectural features.
The church has a rectangular plan, with small rising towers and turrets that lend the building elegance. The main accent of the building is its gable roof, and at the front, above the triangular pediment, rises a square turret with a spire and a cross.
Inside, the church is divided into three aisles, separated by columns. The walls are decorated with paintings of the Stations of the Cross, painted in 1927 by the artist J. Neliubšis. On the high altar hangs proudly "The Crucified" – a 20th-century work of art, notable for its artistic expression. The church also holds a painting by a Lithuanian artist, "The Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus", thought to have been painted by a pupil or follower of Kanutas Ruseckas.
Details of the surroundings.
On the wall of the church hangs a memorial plaque to the priest Steponas Rudžionis, recalling his service to the community. Beside the church stand a post bell tower and an original wooden cross, while the churchyard is bounded by a stone masonry fence, lending the area a sense of authenticity and historical value.
Beižionys Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is not only a house of prayer but also an important cultural legacy, attesting to the religious and historical twists of Lithuania's villages. If you ever choose to take a trip around the Elektrėnai area, be sure to visit Beižionys – here you will find much more than just a beautiful wooden church.
Beižionys Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of the smaller yet highly significant sacred buildings in Lithuania. Situated in the quiet area of the village of Beižionys, in Elektrėnai municipality, this wooden church not only catches the eye with its simplicity and beauty but also has a rich history, revealing the faith and perseverance of its people.
The twists of history.
1922 was a fateful year for the village of Beižionys – it was then that the priest Steponas Rudžionis returned to this area from the Diocese of Mogilev. In order to establish a parish and a church, the local estate owner Kornelija Tanskaitė-Ostrovskienė (also known as Astrauskienė) donated a small manor and 20 hectares of land. This gave a firm foundation for the building of the new church.
The first church was set up right in the small manor house, but already a few years later, in 1926, the priest Rudžionis, together with the local residents, built the wooden church that stands there now. Unfortunately, his activity did not go unnoticed by the Soviet authorities – in 1946 he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment. The priest died in 1949 in Vorkuta, but the work he had begun lived on.
Architectural features.
The church has a rectangular plan, with small rising towers and turrets that lend the building elegance. The main accent of the building is its gable roof, and at the front, above the triangular pediment, rises a square turret with a spire and a cross.
Inside, the church is divided into three aisles, separated by columns. The walls are decorated with paintings of the Stations of the Cross, painted in 1927 by the artist J. Neliubšis. On the high altar hangs proudly "The Crucified" – a 20th-century work of art, notable for its artistic expression. The church also holds a painting by a Lithuanian artist, "The Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus", thought to have been painted by a pupil or follower of Kanutas Ruseckas.
Details of the surroundings.
On the wall of the church hangs a memorial plaque to the priest Steponas Rudžionis, recalling his service to the community. Beside the church stand a post bell tower and an original wooden cross, while the churchyard is bounded by a stone masonry fence, lending the area a sense of authenticity and historical value.
Beižionys Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is not only a house of prayer but also an important cultural legacy, attesting to the religious and historical twists of Lithuania's villages. If you ever choose to take a trip around the Elektrėnai area, be sure to visit Beižionys – here you will find much more than just a beautiful wooden church.