Objects

The Russian Orthodox St. Nicholas church was built for the first time in 1867 upon Vilnius hill, upon demolishing the Catholic church and destroying the old graveyard of the city. Due to local dissatisfaction a petition was sent to the Czar of Russia, with little success. More than 70 years later, in 1932 by the decision of the Supreme Tribunal of Lithuania the Orthodox Church was passed on to the Catholic community.

A rabbinical academy – Yeshiva – was established in Telšiai in 1873 by Rabbi Eliezer Gordon. Telšiai always had a large Jewish community, thus Yeshiva was established here not by accident. In 19th century the rabbinical academy was known in the whole world, rabbis from England, United States, Uruguay, South Africa, Hungary and other countries would come to study there.

The Minor Basilica of the Visitation of the Holy Virgin Mary, built on the Samogitian Calvary, is renowned for its transitional Baroque to Neo-Classical architectural style. The towers of the basilica have been renovated and rebuilt a few times, and some of the altars are identified as Neo-Baroque in their styling. The present day Minor Basilica of the Visitation of the Holy Virgin Mary is the fourth to have been built in the Samogitian town of Kalvarija.

There are 19 Chapels of the Cross at the Samogitian Calvary. A path measuring 7 kilometres dedicated to the faithful runs through them. The chapels retell the story of Christ’s suffering while carrying the cross. During the journey along this path, believers usually pray and sing the special hymns of the Samogitian Calvary hills.

The Witch’s Ash is a botanical natural heritage object protected by the state. The tree grows in the park surrounding the Plateliai Mansions, in the territory of Samogitia National Park. The trunk of the European Ash measures 730 cm, with a height of 32 m, and it is more than 200 years old.

St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s church In Varniai city, which can be found on the river of Varnelė shore, has been given the status of cultural heritage object, however the first Varniai Cathedral has not survived to present day. The holy building’s foundations, which were laid in 1421, were not found during later archaeological searches.