About the Church
The Church of the Holy Trinity in Ukmergė is one of those places that not only adorn the town centre but also conceal a rich and intriguing history, bound up with the local community and the development of the Catholic faith. The church stands on Kauno Street and is built of plastered masonry, gleaming in the Neo-Byzantine style.
The Piarist order was established in Ukmergė as early as 1742. The first church was wooden and was accompanied by a monastery and a five-grade school. This was an important centre of culture and education: a new wooden church was built in 1788, and a new school building in 1803, where as many as 110 pupils were studying by 1828. The monastery also had an influence on the local economy, holding eight villages.
In 1845, however, the monastery and church were closed, and after the uprising of 1863 an Orthodox church was built on the site of the former church. This Orthodox church too has its own historical twists. After the First World War, in 1919, it returned to Catholic hands, and from 1925 it belonged to the Marian Fathers.
During the Soviet period this church, like many other religious buildings, was closed. Its interior was disfigured by the insertion of floor slabs, which undermined the church's authenticity and spirituality. Fortunately, after Lithuania regained its independence, the church was returned to the faithful in 1991.
Over recent decades the church has been renovated and restored in order to bring back its original beauty. In 2010 the floor slabs installed during the Soviet era were removed, and in 2018 the exterior of the church was repainted, restoring the tower to the authentic colours it had had in the second half of the 19th century.
Architecturally, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Ukmergė has a square plan and a single tower with a conical dome, characteristic of the Neo-Byzantine style. The cross on the tip of the tower is adorned with the christogram IHS. Although over a long period the church has undergone various changes and hardships, today it shines with renewed beauty and remains an important centre of spiritual life for the people of Ukmergė.
The church inspires not only through its architecture but also through its rich history, spanning periods from the beginning of the Piarists' activity to the present day. It is a place where past and present intertwine, where one can sense both the historical heritage and the spirit of contemporary faith.
The Piarist order was established in Ukmergė as early as 1742. The first church was wooden and was accompanied by a monastery and a five-grade school. This was an important centre of culture and education: a new wooden church was built in 1788, and a new school building in 1803, where as many as 110 pupils were studying by 1828. The monastery also had an influence on the local economy, holding eight villages.
In 1845, however, the monastery and church were closed, and after the uprising of 1863 an Orthodox church was built on the site of the former church. This Orthodox church too has its own historical twists. After the First World War, in 1919, it returned to Catholic hands, and from 1925 it belonged to the Marian Fathers.
During the Soviet period this church, like many other religious buildings, was closed. Its interior was disfigured by the insertion of floor slabs, which undermined the church's authenticity and spirituality. Fortunately, after Lithuania regained its independence, the church was returned to the faithful in 1991.
Over recent decades the church has been renovated and restored in order to bring back its original beauty. In 2010 the floor slabs installed during the Soviet era were removed, and in 2018 the exterior of the church was repainted, restoring the tower to the authentic colours it had had in the second half of the 19th century.
Architecturally, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Ukmergė has a square plan and a single tower with a conical dome, characteristic of the Neo-Byzantine style. The cross on the tip of the tower is adorned with the christogram IHS. Although over a long period the church has undergone various changes and hardships, today it shines with renewed beauty and remains an important centre of spiritual life for the people of Ukmergė.
The church inspires not only through its architecture but also through its rich history, spanning periods from the beginning of the Piarists' activity to the present day. It is a place where past and present intertwine, where one can sense both the historical heritage and the spirit of contemporary faith.