Bartninkai Church Ruins

Bombed by the Germans during the Second World War and never allowed to be rebuilt – this was the fate of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Bartninkai, which had stood for a couple of hundred years. Yet its majestic ruins are still cared for and stand pensively in the middle of the small town. The people of Bartninkai still look after what is left of the church. The church grounds are beautifully kept: the grass is mown and there is no litter. Everything looks as if the building were still in use. The stone Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul rose in the town in 1790. At that time it had no towers; they were added later, together with a new porch. In 1944, during the war, the church was badly damaged. In Soviet times it was not allowed to be rebuilt, so soon a tiny wooden church appeared next to the old one and took over its role. The surviving ruins of Bartninkai church are now a protected cultural heritage site. For the townspeople they are part of cultural life – various events and concerts are held here. No wonder, as the place is truly beautiful and mysterious.