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Daniliškės Old Believers Church

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The Old Believers settled in Lithuania after the reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church led by Patriarch Nikon during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. These reforms included the unification and alteration of church books and rites, declaring the Russian Tsar as the head of the Church. In 1656, a church council separated the reform opponents, known as Old Believers, from the Russian Orthodox Church. The village of Daniliškės emerged following the land reforms initiated in 1548 by Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, Sigismund Augustus. Persecuted by both ecclesiastical and secular authorities, the Old Believers retreated to wilderness areas, forests, and even fled abroad. Some found refuge in Lithuania, known for its historical tolerance towards different religions. One of the places where they settled was the village of Daniliškės, located on the lands owned by the nobleman Riomeris. In the 19th century, there were no fewer than 47 villages in the Trakai district where Old Believers resided. Previously, Daniliškės was a large Old Believer village with only a few Catholics. The Old Believer community in Daniliškės consisted of 116 individuals, as evidenced by the cemetery near the village. The

gravestones feature double crosses and names that are now rarely heard. The Daniliškės Old Believer community, established in the early 18th century, is the oldest in the Vilnius region. Initially, it belonged to the Feodosian branch and, from the mid-19th century, to the Pomorian branch. In the center of the village still stands one of the thirteen Old Believer prayer houses in Lithuania, built in 1817. Until 1825, this church was also used by the Old Believers of Vilnius. The church was severely damaged during World War I. In 1931, a new wooden church with a bell tower on a concrete foundation was built. By 1937, it had 194 members. During the Soviet era, the church was closed but was restored and reopened after 1990. The church included a spacious prayer hall and living quarters for the priest's family. It also served the community members living in the Onuškis and Stakliškės areas. Daniliškės is a declining village, currently home to only a few Old Believer families. However, it remains very important to the Old Believer community in Lithuania, as members from other parts of the country come to participate in ceremonies held in the village church, and the village cemetery is still used for burials.

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2025-11-17

Daniliškės Old Believers Church

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