About the Church
The Church of the Apostles Sts Peter and Paul in Užuguostis is a true gem of history, situated in the small village of Užuguostis, not far from Stakliškės. This Gothic Revival church with pronounced Baroque features has a rich and colourful past that reflects the history of religious and cultural change in Lithuania.
The first church on this site was built as early as before 1495, on the initiative of Jonas Daugirdavičius. It was a wooden structure that became an important spiritual centre for the local community. In 1522 Marija Zavišienė, daughter of Mykolas Daugirdavičius, endowed an altar benefice and allotted income from her lands for the church's needs. Later, in the second half of the 16th century, the church passed to the Evangelical Reformed Church, which reflects the religious diversity and conflicts of the time.
A new church was built in 1649, and by 1717 a parish was already active here. Interestingly, in 1744 the parish included not only the manor and the town but also the chapel of Gedinaičiai and as many as 30 settlements. In 1747 Liudvikas Pacas had another wooden church built, in which a parish school operated during the 18th century.
The church's history also includes tragic events. In 1898 the wooden church burned down. But the parishioners' resolve did not allow this spiritual centre to disappear. In 1899–1902 the parish priest Kostas Gruzdys, together with the engineer Bronislovas Malevskis and the parishioners, built the present stone and brick masonry church, which still stands today.
Architecturally, the Church of the Apostles Sts Peter and Paul in Užuguostis is a distinctive building. It has elements of the Gothic Revival style, but Baroque features are also visible. The church is of rectangular plan, with two imposing towers that give it particular monumentality. The churchyard is enclosed by a stone-masonry wall with a pointed-arch gate, which adds to the overall aesthetic appearance and symbolises the spirit of former times.
Community life today is also complemented by the nearby chapel of Varkaliai, which belongs to the same parish. So the Church of the Apostles Sts Peter and Paul in Užuguostis is undoubtedly a place where history, architecture and living faith intertwine, inviting visitors to sense the connections between past and present.
The first church on this site was built as early as before 1495, on the initiative of Jonas Daugirdavičius. It was a wooden structure that became an important spiritual centre for the local community. In 1522 Marija Zavišienė, daughter of Mykolas Daugirdavičius, endowed an altar benefice and allotted income from her lands for the church's needs. Later, in the second half of the 16th century, the church passed to the Evangelical Reformed Church, which reflects the religious diversity and conflicts of the time.
A new church was built in 1649, and by 1717 a parish was already active here. Interestingly, in 1744 the parish included not only the manor and the town but also the chapel of Gedinaičiai and as many as 30 settlements. In 1747 Liudvikas Pacas had another wooden church built, in which a parish school operated during the 18th century.
The church's history also includes tragic events. In 1898 the wooden church burned down. But the parishioners' resolve did not allow this spiritual centre to disappear. In 1899–1902 the parish priest Kostas Gruzdys, together with the engineer Bronislovas Malevskis and the parishioners, built the present stone and brick masonry church, which still stands today.
Architecturally, the Church of the Apostles Sts Peter and Paul in Užuguostis is a distinctive building. It has elements of the Gothic Revival style, but Baroque features are also visible. The church is of rectangular plan, with two imposing towers that give it particular monumentality. The churchyard is enclosed by a stone-masonry wall with a pointed-arch gate, which adds to the overall aesthetic appearance and symbolises the spirit of former times.
Community life today is also complemented by the nearby chapel of Varkaliai, which belongs to the same parish. So the Church of the Apostles Sts Peter and Paul in Užuguostis is undoubtedly a place where history, architecture and living faith intertwine, inviting visitors to sense the connections between past and present.
Gallery and Resources
Archive captions are shown in Lithuanian.
Užuguosčio kaimo Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Povilo bažnyčios fasadas.