Rokiškis St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Chapel

The first wooden Orthodox chapel in Rokiškis was built in 1895 with government funds. The parish was established in 1903. During World War I, the Germans turned the chapel into a hospital. In 1921, the Ministry of Internal Affairs transferred the chapel to the Catholics, and it was renovated into St. Augustine’s Church. The Orthodox community demanded the return of the chapel. From 1933, Father Grigorijus Vysockis held services in his own home. In 1937, there were 264 parishioners. In May 1939, a small chapel was set up in part of the priest’s house (the parish received compensation for the old chapel). In 1946, there were 90 believers in the parish. In 1947, the Soviet authorities registered the parish. St. Augustine’s Church was converted into a sports hall and, in 1957, was demolished altogether. Currently, the chapel is located in a residential house, with about half of the building dedicated to it. A family responsible for the chapel’s upkeep lives in the remaining part of the house. The local Orthodox community has carefully worked to give the residential house’s facade a form befitting a place of worship. The roof of the building is adorned with a small, blue-painted, traditional onion-shaped dome topped with an ornate metal cross. A small metal cross also decorates the main entrance door.