- Place
- Ignalina District Municipality
- Region
- Ignalina District
- Type
- sacred-heritage church
- Address
- Švedriškė village, Kazitiškis Eldership, LT-30251 Ignalina District
- Coordinates
- 55.49094, 26.07339
- Visit duration
- 30-60 minutes for the church; longer when combined with Lake Azvintis
- Best time
- in daylight, after checking the service time and arranging interior access
Švedriškė Church of St John the Baptist Parish Church
A church by Lake Azvintis
Švedriškė Church of St John the Baptist stands in Švedriškė village, Kazitiškis Eldership, Ignalina District, on the western shore of Lake Azvintis, about 7.5 km north-west of Kazitiškis. The coordinate marks the church, not the whole village or lakeshore.
The fenced churchyard and its small cemetery are part of the setting. This is nevertheless an active parish, so plan the exterior as the reliable stop and enter only when the doors are open or a visit has been arranged.
From a temporary chapel to the present church
After the political changes of 1920, the western part of Kazitiškis parish was left without a nearby church. A temporary chapel was first arranged in Garbšiai. In 1927, homestead owner Marija Leščiauskienė donated 81.4 hectares with buildings for a future church; a temporary chapel operated in Švedriškė in 1928 and a priest was appointed in 1929.
The present wooden church was built in 1933 through the efforts of priest Jonas Gurauskas and equipped in 1934. It was a filia of Salakas parish. This sequence matters because the building grew from a community need and years of organisation, not from an isolated architectural commission.
A Neo-Gothic twin-towered silhouette
Engineer Stasys Taškūnas prepared the church project. The building is described as Neo-Gothic, rectangular in plan, with two towers, a small turret, a narrow apse and low sacristies. Pale wooden walls, dark trim, pointed roofs and crosses create a clear silhouette that is easy to recognise from the road.
The churchyard's metal fence is set on reinforced-concrete posts, and a small cemetery lies beside the church. Keep a respectful distance when photographing and do not enter the cemetery space for a better angle.
A wooden interior and community memory
Inside, the Neo-Gothic character continues through warm timber walls, a carved altar and stained-glass windows. These details show that Švedriškė's interest lies not only in the twin towers but also in the coherent relationship between woodwork and liturgical furnishings.
Antanas Juška served as pastor from 1960 to 1989. The church's ninetieth-anniversary celebration took place in 2023, confirming that it remains a living place of worship and community rather than only a historic building.
A respectful visit to Švedriškė
There is no admission ticket because this is a working parish church. Sunday Mass is at 14:00, but a rural parish timetable can change and the doors may be locked between services. Check current information before travelling.
Keep the churchyard quiet, respect the neighbouring cemetery and be mindful of village privacy. If you want to enter, contact the parish before travelling and confirm the Mass time.
