About the Church
The Church of St John the Baptist in Alizava is a fine architectural gem, located in the small town of Alizava in the Kupiškis district. This wooden church, founded in 1856, combines features of Historicism, Baroque and Gothic Revival, which give it particular charm and historical value.
The church's history begins as early as the 18th century, when this area was called Pakapė and belonged to the Zasinyčiai manor. In 1774 the marshal of Ukmergė county, Antanas Koscialkovskis, acquired the manor, and in 1794 he built a small wooden church and named the village after his son Aloyzas — Alizava. Some decades later, in 1853, the priest Jonas Bžestovičius began preparing to build a new church, and with the help of the local residents and the manor owner Ignas Koscialkauskas he completed the present, more spacious and finer church with two towers in 1856.
Over a long period the church underwent many changes and reconstructions. In 1868 the first inventory list of the church's property was drawn up, documenting the assets and items held at that time. In 1872 the priest Ferdinandas Ūselis built a new presbytery, rebuilt the farm buildings, planted a large orchard, and erected a bell tower and small shrines for the Stations of the Cross. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the church became a centre of the fight against drunkenness, and its reconstructions continued right up to the mid-20th century.
During the First World War the church was damaged, but after the war it was repaired thanks to the priest Kazimieras Mockus. Later, during the interwar period, the priests Felicijonas Lialis and Vincas Žvagždys contributed to the church's renovation, acquired new vestments, rearranged the altars and put the cemetery in order.
The church's interior has three aisles, separated by elegant columns. The church's organ, dating from the same time as the church itself, has remained authentic, although part of its mechanism has been replaced. This organ has become a valuable piece of cultural heritage and was entered in the Register of Cultural Property in 1992.
Today the Church of St John the Baptist in Alizava not only serves the local community but also, as a historical monument, attracts visitors wishing to get to know the beauty of Lithuanian church architecture. Its rich history and architectural features testify to the efforts of past generations to nurture and preserve this sacred heritage.
The church's history begins as early as the 18th century, when this area was called Pakapė and belonged to the Zasinyčiai manor. In 1774 the marshal of Ukmergė county, Antanas Koscialkovskis, acquired the manor, and in 1794 he built a small wooden church and named the village after his son Aloyzas — Alizava. Some decades later, in 1853, the priest Jonas Bžestovičius began preparing to build a new church, and with the help of the local residents and the manor owner Ignas Koscialkauskas he completed the present, more spacious and finer church with two towers in 1856.
Over a long period the church underwent many changes and reconstructions. In 1868 the first inventory list of the church's property was drawn up, documenting the assets and items held at that time. In 1872 the priest Ferdinandas Ūselis built a new presbytery, rebuilt the farm buildings, planted a large orchard, and erected a bell tower and small shrines for the Stations of the Cross. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the church became a centre of the fight against drunkenness, and its reconstructions continued right up to the mid-20th century.
During the First World War the church was damaged, but after the war it was repaired thanks to the priest Kazimieras Mockus. Later, during the interwar period, the priests Felicijonas Lialis and Vincas Žvagždys contributed to the church's renovation, acquired new vestments, rearranged the altars and put the cemetery in order.
The church's interior has three aisles, separated by elegant columns. The church's organ, dating from the same time as the church itself, has remained authentic, although part of its mechanism has been replaced. This organ has become a valuable piece of cultural heritage and was entered in the Register of Cultural Property in 1992.
Today the Church of St John the Baptist in Alizava not only serves the local community but also, as a historical monument, attracts visitors wishing to get to know the beauty of Lithuanian church architecture. Its rich history and architectural features testify to the efforts of past generations to nurture and preserve this sacred heritage.