About the Church
The Ylakiai Church of the Annunciation of the Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most interesting architectural and historical monuments in Skuodas district. Built after 1899, the church stands in the centre of the town of Ylakiai and has been an inseparable part of the community for many years.
The first church in Ylakiai was built as early as 1640, and the parish registers began to be kept from 1642. Later, in 1701, a new church was built, and its plot of land was enlarged in 1709. However, after a little more than a century it had become an old and crumbling building. At the beginning of the 19th century the parish established a school, in which local children were educated.
The events of 1863 reflect harsh times: the local curate Aleksandras Miliauskas was exiled on suspicion of urging people to join the uprising. Less than a year later, the parish priest Motiejus Urbonavičius was punished for not saying a prayer for the tsar in church.
Despite all these difficulties, the parishioners repeatedly expressed a wish to build a new masonry church. Finally, after long petitioning, permission was granted in 1899 and construction began to the design of the architect Ustinas Golinevičius. The church was consecrated by Bishop Mečislovas Paliulionis.
Architecturally, the Ylakiai church is a fine example of the Historicist style. It has a rectangular plan, two towers, and a masonry wall around the churchyard. It is interesting to note that on the facades the texture of the red brick is complemented by small areas of white plaster. Pointed windows and Gothic elements in the interior lend it particular beauty. In the church three wooden pews can be found, believed to survive from the former wooden church.
The Ylakiai parish also has a chapel of St Roch the Confessor. Inside the church, light shades of yellow and brown predominate, and the altars retain the Gothic style. Interestingly, the church has a registry bell and an organ made by the master M. Masalskis. Works by the folk artist Domininkas Malakauskas also adorn the church – two confessionals, a pulpit and two altars are the fruits of his work.
This whole complex, together with the surrounding structures, forms an extraordinarily rich historical and cultural heritage, important not only to local residents but to everyone interested in Lithuanian architecture and history.
The first church in Ylakiai was built as early as 1640, and the parish registers began to be kept from 1642. Later, in 1701, a new church was built, and its plot of land was enlarged in 1709. However, after a little more than a century it had become an old and crumbling building. At the beginning of the 19th century the parish established a school, in which local children were educated.
The events of 1863 reflect harsh times: the local curate Aleksandras Miliauskas was exiled on suspicion of urging people to join the uprising. Less than a year later, the parish priest Motiejus Urbonavičius was punished for not saying a prayer for the tsar in church.
Despite all these difficulties, the parishioners repeatedly expressed a wish to build a new masonry church. Finally, after long petitioning, permission was granted in 1899 and construction began to the design of the architect Ustinas Golinevičius. The church was consecrated by Bishop Mečislovas Paliulionis.
Architecturally, the Ylakiai church is a fine example of the Historicist style. It has a rectangular plan, two towers, and a masonry wall around the churchyard. It is interesting to note that on the facades the texture of the red brick is complemented by small areas of white plaster. Pointed windows and Gothic elements in the interior lend it particular beauty. In the church three wooden pews can be found, believed to survive from the former wooden church.
The Ylakiai parish also has a chapel of St Roch the Confessor. Inside the church, light shades of yellow and brown predominate, and the altars retain the Gothic style. Interestingly, the church has a registry bell and an organ made by the master M. Masalskis. Works by the folk artist Domininkas Malakauskas also adorn the church – two confessionals, a pulpit and two altars are the fruits of his work.
This whole complex, together with the surrounding structures, forms an extraordinarily rich historical and cultural heritage, important not only to local residents but to everyone interested in Lithuanian architecture and history.