- Place
- Klaipėda City Municipality
- Region
- Klaipėda
- Type
- active Orthodox parish church and educational community space
- Address
- Debreceno g. 48, Klaipėda
- Coordinates
- 55.68561, 21.17506
- Visit duration
- 25-45 minutes when open
- Best time
- before an officially announced service, observing Orthodox church etiquette
Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their Mother Sophia
The first liturgy on 4 January 1995
The parish dates its history from 4 January 1995, when the first liturgy was celebrated here. At the time, Klaipėda's only Orthodox church on Liepų Street could no longer hold everyone and was distant from the newer southern residential districts.
The community could not afford a separate new church. Vladimir Artamonov, head of Secondary School No. 17, therefore proposed converting a classroom in the school's eastern wing, creating an unusual link between parish and educational history.
From classroom to distinctive sanctuary
The first small space was dedicated to the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia. A temporary plywood iconostasis carrying reproductions initially stood before the altar.
The premises were later enlarged and renovated, with an open north-side gallery designed by Klaipėda architect Yevgenia Chelpanova. Visitors should not expect a freestanding traditional cathedral: the church grew within an adapted institutional wing.
Icons, textiles, and mosaic
Artist Valery Osishny created the first icons and wall paintings. The parish history names images including Joy of All Who Sorrow, St Seraphim of Sarov, St Panteleimon, St George, and St John of Kronstadt.
Textile artist Lina Ganusauskaitė wove a burial shroud of Christ and processional banners, while sculptor Dmitry Yefremov created the Christ Pantocrator mosaic above the entrance. These works turned the adapted rooms into a recognizable sacred space.
Education and respectful visiting
The parish story is closely tied to Andrei Rublev, Sunday school, Christian art, and educational programmes. It is not simply an architectural stop but an active place of worship and community.
Check service times on the official parish site or contact the parish. Dress modestly, speak quietly, do not stand between worshippers and the iconostasis, and ask before photographing people or rites.
